Al-LlBR/ 


\\\EUNIVERV// 


>       — 


\\\EUNIVER%.        ^jvlOS-M 


%H3AiNfV3\^      ^AHvyan-^     ^AOT 


OUR  GREAT  CAPTAINS, 


GRANT,    SHERMAN, 


THOMAS,     S  HE  R  I  D  A  N , 


FARRAGUT. 


"  Ense  petit  placidam  sub  libertate  quietem." 


NEW  YORK : 
CHARLES    B.     RICHARDSON, 

540    BKOADWAY. 
1865. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1S65. 
•BY  CHARLES  3.  EICIIAEDSON, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
•    Southern  District  of  New  Yurk. 


B.   CRAIGHEAD,   PRINTER, 

Cazlon  Building  83  Centre  street. 


CONTENTS. 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  ULYSSES  SlMPSON  GRANT 9 

MAJOR-GENERAL  WILLIAM  TECUMSEH  SHERMAN 87 

MAJOR-GENERAL  GEORGE  H.  THOMAS 163 

MAJOR-GENERAL  PHILIP  HENRY  SHERIDAN 187 

VICE-ADMIRAL  DAVID  GLASCOE  FARRAGUT 227 


^  - 


PREFACE, 


THE  biographies  of  living  men  who  have  achieved 
distinction,  are  always  so  attractive  to  the  public,  that 
we  deem  no  apology  necessary  for  presenting  in  a 
single  portable  volume,  sketches  of  the  lives  of  those 
who  are  pre-eminently  our  GBEAT  CAPTAINS.  There 
have  been,  we  are  aware,  four  or  five  previous 'at- 
tempts to  give  publicity  to  the  life  and  services  of 
Lieutenant-General  Grant ;  but  while  the  greater 
part  have  dealt  largely  in  fiction,  none  have  at- 
tempted, as  we  have  done,  to  give  the  later  incidents 
of  a  military  career  now  rounding  into  completeness, 
by  the  suppression,  through  his  skilful  and  persistent 
strategy,  of  the  Great  Rebellion.  The  incidents  of 
General  Sherman's  life  have  also  been  once  or  twice 
related,  but  with  a  want  of  appreciation  of  his  pe- 
culiar and  transcendent  genius,  which  leaves  much  to 
be  desired,  and  which  we  have  endeavored  to  sup- 
ply. ISTo  carefully  prepared  biographical  sketch  of 
Thomas,  Sheridan,  or  Farragut  has,  we  believe,  been 
hitherto  attempted. 

In  essaying  thus  to  bring  before  our  own  country- 
men, and  the  people  of  other  lands,  authentic  narra- 

1* 


6  PREFACE. 

lives  of  the  military  career  of  these  men,  who  have 
displayed  abilities  fully  equal  to  those  of  the  great 
captains  of  other  lands  in  the  past  hundred  years, 
we  have  been  prompted  by  no  vain-glorious  desire 
to  extol  unduly  our  own  military  chieftains,  or  to 
bestow  upon  mediocrity  the  laurels  due  to  extraor- 
dinary merit,  but  have  made  it  our  sole  object  to 
present  the  men  as  they  were,  and  put  on  record,  for 
our  own  and  other  times,  the  deeds  for  which  they 
deserve  the  honor,  admiration,  and  esteem  of  the 
loyal  citizens  of  the  Republic. 

The  bearing,  influence,  and  effect  of  some  of  the 
great  battles  we  have  described,  upon  the  struggle 
in  which  we  are  engaged,  are  not  generally  under- 
stood. We  have  tried  to  make  these  plain ;  and  to 
show  that  through  all  the  movements  of  our  armies, 
the  shock  of  battles,  and  the  desperate  conflicts  for 
particular  points,  there  has  been  a  plan  and  purpose 
which  has  made  them,  not,  as  some  of  our  un- 
friendly critics  across  the  ocean  have  so  often 
charged,  mere  collisions  of  brute  force,  without 
special  aim  or  object,  but  portions  of  comprehensive 
strategy,  having  for  its  objects  the  overthrow  of  the 
Eebellion,  and  the  re-establishment,  at  no  distant 
date,  of  the  authority  of  the  Republic  in  every  por- 
tion of  our  territory. 


OUR  GREAT  CAPTAINS. 

>••»••• 
I. 

Lieutenant-General  Ulysses  Simpson  Grant, 

ALTHOUGH  war  has  been,  during  the  whole  historic 
period,  so  large  a  part  of  the  business  of  the  world, 
yet  the  number  of  great  captains,  commanders  pos- 
sessing the  highest  military  genius,  has  been  compar- 
atively small.  The  "  art  of  war"  is  not  a  science  to  be 
acquired  simply  by  study ;  its  conditions  are  ever  chang- 
ing, and  tactics  which  are  successful  in  one  age  may  be 
ill  adapted  for  another  ;  a  strategy  which  may  be  ad- 
mirable in  one  country,  may  be  utterly  inadmissible  in 
another  ;  and  movements  which,  in  a  country  of  wide 
plains,  good  roads,  and  few  rivers,  may  be  performed 
with  celerity  and  certainty,  may  prove  entirely  impos- 
sible in  a  mountainous,  heavily-wooded  country,  with 
swamps,  thickets,  miry  streams,  and  wretched  roads. 

We  must,  then,  in  judging  of  die  military  abilities  of  a 
commander,  take  into  account  the  age  in  which  he  lives, 
the  people  whom  he  commands,  the  enemy  with  which 
he  has  to  contend,  and  the  country  he  must  traverse. 
We  must  look  also  to  the  quality  of  his  mental  action. 
If  he  possesses  clear  perceptions,  foreseeing  readily  the 
measures  of  his  antagonist ;  if  he  is  fertile  in  resource, 
remedying  difficulties,  overcoming  seeming  impossibi- 
lities, and  accomplishing  his  purposes  in  the  face  of  the 
greatest  obstacles  ;  if  he  has  the  power,  not  only  to  plan 


10  OUR    GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

combined  operations,  but  to  so  control  their  details  as 
that  they  shall  not  fail ;  if,  above  all,  he  possesses  tact, 
and  a  control   over  his   troops  which   enables  him  to 
wii-ld  them  at  his  will  to  execute  his  purposes,— then 
he  is  entitled  to  a  place  among  the  world's  great  com- 
manders.    It  was  in  these  qualities  that  Alexander,  Han- 
nibal, Czesar,  and,  in  more  modern  times,  Turenne,  Marl- 
borough,  Frederick  the  Great,  Wellington,  and  Napol|pn 
surpassed  the  other  generals  of  their  time.    But  few  as 
have  been  these  illustrious  names  in  the  past,  we  hope 
to  demonstrate  that  we  have  not  simply  one,  but  several 
great  captains.     Among  these,  none  is  more  deserving  of 
that  title  of  honor  than  the  general-in-chief  of  our  armies. 
It  is  now  somewhere  near  one  hundred  years  ago  that 
two  young  Scotchmen  of  the  name  of  Grant  left  their 
own  land  of  the  heather  for  the  New  World  across  the 
Atlantic.     Though  brothers,  they  did  not  choose  the 
same  location,    one    making  his  home  in  Canada,  the 
other   in   Pennsylvania.       The  latter  took  up  arms  in 
defence  of  his.  adopted  country,    and    after   the  peace 
settled  upon  a  farm   in  Westmoreland    county,   Penn. 
Here  in  1794,  his  son,  Jesse  R.  Grant,  father  of  the 
lieutenant-general,    was    born.      In  1799,  the  attraction 
of  new  lands  in  the  northwestern  territory  drew   the 
sturdy  Scotch  farmer  across  the  Ohio.      For  four  or  five 
years  we  lose  sight  of  him  and  his  family,   the  forests  of 
Eastern  Ohio  being  the  favorite  haunts  of  the  Indian 
tribes,  who  reluctantly,  and  often  only  by  compulsion, 
relinquished  them  to  the  inrolHng  tide  of  emigrants.    In 
1804,*  however,  lie  had  become  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  the  town  of  Deerfiekl,  on  the  Western  Reserve,  and 
now  in  Portage  county.      In  1805  Mr.  Grant  died,  leav- 
ing his  son  Jesse  an  orphan  at  the  age   of  eleven  years. 
Not  long  after,  the  boy  was  apprenticed  to  the  tanning 


GENERAL   GRANT.  11 

business,  and  when  the  barbarous  alliance  between  the 
British  and  the  Indians,  in  the  war  of  1812,  had  made 
the  northern  counties  of  Ohio  an  unsafe  region  for  women 
and  children,  he  removed  with  his  mother  and  family  to 
Maysville,  Kentucky.  In  1815  he  returned  to  Portage 
county,  and  established  himself  at  Ravenna  as'a  tanner. 
The  prevalence  of  ague  and  fever  in  Ravenna  di-ove 
young  Grant  thence  in  1820,  and  when  after  a  few 
months  he  returned  to  Ohio,  it  was  to  establish  himself 
in  the  southern  part,  near  the  banks  of  the  beautiful 
river.  Here,  in  June,  1821,  he  married  Hannah  Simp- 
son, the  daughter  of  an  emigrant  from  Pennsylvania, 
and,  like  himself,  a  native  of  that  State.  The  home  of 
the  young  couple  was  at  Point  Pleasant,  on  the  Ohio 
river,  in  Clermont  county,  but  a  few  miles  from  th» 
city  of  Cincinnati.  Here,  on  the  27th  of.  April,  1822, 
was  born  their  eldest  son,  the  hero  of  our  story.  The 
humble  cottage  which  was  his  birthplace  still  stands,  a 
frame  building  one  story  in  height ;  and  from  its  win- 
dows there  is  a  pleasant  view  of  the  Ohio,  and  of  the 
gently  sloping  Kentuckian  farms  on  its  further  bank. 

The  name  of  the  boy,  bestowed  at  the  instanc§  of  his 
maternal  grandparents,  was  Hiram  Ulysses,  and  so  it 
remained  until  the  time  of  his  admission  to  the  Mili- 
tary Academy  at  West  Point,  when,  by  the  oversight 
of  the  member  of  Congress  who  appointed  him  a  cadet, 
he  was  entered  as  Ulysses  S.  Grant ;  and  after  attempting 
in  vain  to  have  his  baptismal  name  substituted,  he  sub- 
mitted, and  made  his  signature  conform  to  that  whicli 
had  thus  been  imposed  upon  him.  As  his  mother's 
maiden  name  was  Simpson,  the  middle  initial  came  to 
be  regarded  as  standing  for  Simpson. 

The  tanner's  son  proved  to  be  a  sturdy  little  urchin, 
entirely  devoid  of  fear ;  not  precocious,  but  persevering, 


12  CUE  GEE  AT  CAPTAINS. 

and  with  a  Scotch  pertinacity  ot  will  in  the  achievement 
of  any  object  on  which  he  had  set  his  heart,  while  at  the 
same  time  he  possessed  an  imperturbable  good-humor 
which  rendered  him  a  general  favorite. 

There  have  been  in  Lieutenant-Gen eral  Grant's  case, 
as  in  that  of  most  men  who  have  attained  high  position, 
numerous  stories  of  his  boyhood  and  yonth,  which  had 
their  origin  only  in  the  imagination  of  the  writers  who 
have  given  them  to  the  public.  To  repeat  these  would 
be  an  insult  to  the  illustrious  name  we  commemorate, 
but  there  are  a  few  incidents  which  have  been  preserved 
by  his  father,  which,  as  illustrating  the  traits  of  character 
which  he  has  since  developed,  are  worthy  of  record. 

Mr.  Grant  relates  that  when  Ulysses'  was  but  two 
^ears  old,  he  took  him  in  his  arms  and  carried  him 
through  the  village  on  some  public  occasion,  and  a 
young  man  wished  to  try  the  effect  of  the  report  of 
a  pistol  on  him.  Mr.  Grant  consented,  though,  as  he 
said,  "the  child  had  never  seen  a  gun  or  pistol  in  his 
life."  The  hand  of  tho  baby  was  accordingly  put  on  the 
lock  and  pressed  there  quietly,  until  the  pistol  was  dis- 
charged with  a  loud  report.  The  little  fellow  exhibited 
no  alarm,  neither  winking  nor  dodging,  but  presently 
pushed  the  pistol  away,  saying,  "  Fick  it  again  !  Fick 
it  again!" 

The  story  of  his  being  unable  to  understand  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word  can't  has  been  too  often  told  to  need 
repetition.  It  need  hardly  be  said  that  he  has  never  yet 
succeeded  in  ascertaining  its  meaning  in  any  thing  which 
he  has  undertaken  to  do. 

A  still  more  characteristic  incident  is  related  of  him 
by  his  father.  When  Ulysses  was  twelve  years  of  age, 
his  father  wanted  several  sticks  of  hewn  timber  from  the 
forest,  and  sent  him  with  the  team  to  draw  them  to  the 


GENERAL   GEANT.  13 

village,  telling  him  that  raen  would  be  there  with  hand- 
spikes to  help  load  them  on  to  the  wagon.  The  boy 
went  with  the  team,  but  on  arriving  at  his  destination 
the  men  were  not  there,  and  after  some  little  delay  they 
still  did  not  appear.  He  had  been  sent  for  the  timber, 
however,  and  he  had  no  intention  of  going  home  with- 
out it.  Looking  about,  he  observed  at  a  little  distance 
a  tree  which  had  fallen  over,  and  was  leaning  against 
another,  its  trunk  forming  an  inclined  plane.  This,  he 
reasoned,  would  enable  him  to  get  the  timber  into  his 
wagon  ;  accordingly  he  took  out  his  horses,  and  hitching 
them  to  the  logs,  drew  them  up  to  the  foot  of  the  fallen 
tree,  and,  backing  his  wagon  to  the  side  of  the  inclined 
plane,  he  pushed  and  drew  the  timber,  piece  after  piece, 
up  the  inclined  plane,  and  shoved  it  into  the  wagon,  and 
with  his  load  secured,  drove  home  triumphantly.  The 
incident  exhibits  very  forcibly  the  energy,  pertinacity, 
and  fertility  of  resource  which  have  characterized  the 
man  in  all  his  subsequent  career. 

In  school  the  boy  was  faithfial,  diligent,  and  pains- 
taking ;  not  a  genius,  who  acquired  knowledge  without 
study,  but  a  boy  who  appreciated  the  value  of  an  educa- 
tion, and  who  was  not  to  be  disheartened  in  his  efforts 
to  obtain  one.  However  difficult  his  lessons  might  be, 
and  however  severe  the  study  required  to  master  them, 
he  never  gave  up  to  discouragement,  but  if  one  method 
or  resource  failed,  was  always  ready  to  try  another. 
But  the  advantages  of  school  training  were  limited  by 
the  want  of  good  schools  in  the  village,  the  small  por- 
tion of  the  year  (only  three  months)  in  which  he  could 
attend,  and  the  straitened  circumstances  of  his  father, 
which  did  not  permit  him  to  send  his  son  abroad  for  an 
education.  The  education,  however,  young  Grant  de- 
termined to  have,  and  his  father  was  also  very  desirous 


14  CUE  GEEAT  CAPTAINS. 

that  he  should  obtain  it.  He  had  reached  the  age  of 
seventeen,  when  it  was  decided  that  the  effort  should  be 
made  to  secure  an  appointment  as  cadet  at  West  Point. 
Application  was  first  made  to  Hon.  Thomas  Morris,  then 
U.  S.  Senator  from  Ohio,  but  Mr.  Morris  had  already 
pledged  himself  to  another  applicant,  and  so  informed 
Mr.  Grant,  but  at  the  same  time  notified  him  of  a  va- 
cancy in  the  gift  of  Hon.  Thomas  L.  Hamer,  the  member 
of  Congress  from  Grant's  own  district,  the  young  man 
whom  he  had  appointed  having,  for  some  cause,  failed  to 
enter.  Mr.  Grant  immediately  corresponded  with  Mr. 
Hamer,  who  promptly  appointed  Ulysses  to  the  vacant 
cadetship.  Having  successfully  passed  his  preliminary 
examination,  the  young  cadet  entered  -the  Academy, 
July  1,  1839. 

In  the  Military  Academy,  Grant  was  studious,  attentive 
to  all  his  duties,  and  though  he  had  not  enjoyed  the  ad- 
vantages of  many  of  his  classmates  in  early  education, 
he  soon  took  a  good  position  in  scholarship,  while  his 
amiable  disposition  won  him  the  friendship  of  all  his 
classmates.  The  examinations  at  this  period  were  very 
severe,  and  of  Grant's  class,  which  numbered  one  hun- 
dred in  1839,  only  thirty  graduated  in  1843.  He  stood 
No.  21,  his  standing  being  very  high  in  artillery  and 
infantry  tactics,  mathematics,  engineering,  and  horse- 
manship, and  fair  in  the  other  studies.  During  his  last 
-year  he  was  commanding  officer  of  cadets.  Major-General 
Franklin,  and  Generals  Ingalls,  Steele,  and  Judah,  were 
among  his  classmates.  As  there  was  no  existing  va- 
cancy, he  was  on  his  graduation  breveted  Second-lieu- 
tenant of  the  Fourth  Infantry  regiment,  and  for  a  time 
after  joining  his  regiment,  then  at  Jefferson  Barracks, 
near  St.  Louis,  was  required  to  perform  the  duties  of  a 
private  soldier.  In  1844  he  removed  with  his  regiment 


GENERAL   GKANT.  15 

up  the  Red  river,  in  Louisiana.  There  began  now  to  be 
rumors  of  war  between  Mexico  and  the  United  States, 
in  consequence  of  the  annexation  of  Texas,  and  in  1845 
General  Taylor  was  sent  to  the  border  in  command  of 
an  "  army  of  occupation,"  and  of  this  army  young 
Grant's  regiment,  the  Fourth  Infantry,  was  a  part.  Grant 
had  meantime  been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  first-lieu- 
tenant of  the  Seventh  Infantry  ;  but  preferring  to  remain 
with  his  old  regiment,  where  there  seemed  more  chance 
of  seeing  service,  he  accepted  instead  the  second-lieu- 
tenancy, then  vacant  in  that  regiment. 

In  May,  1846,  Lieutenant  Grant,  with  his  regiment, 
moved  forward  to  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la  Pal  ma, 
and  in  both  those  battles  he  distinguished  himself  for 
gallantry  and  courage.  In  the  subsequent  storming  of 
Monterey,  he  received  honorable  mention  from  his  com- 
mander for  his  good  conduct.  In  April,  1847,  after  the 
capture  of  Vera  Cruz,  in  which  he  had  participated,  the 
young  lieutenant  was  appointed  quartermaster  of  his  re- 
giment, and  served  in  this  capacity  through  the  re- 
mainder of  the  catnfJHign  ;  but  he  showed  no  disposition 
to  avail  himself  of  his  privilege  of  remaining  in  his  own 
department  in  time  of  battle.  In  the  autumn  of  1847, 
at  the  desperate  assault  of  Molino  del  Rey,  and  at  the 
storming  of  Chapultepec  five  days  later,  Lieutenant 
Grant  exhillited  such  daring,  and  acted  so  promptly  and 
fearlessly,  as  to  receive  the  high  commendations  of  his 
superior  officers,  and  to  be  promoted  to  a  first-lieutenancy 
on  the  spot.  Among  those  who  spoke  in  the  highest 
terms  of  his  gallantry  and  daring  on  these  occasions  was 
Major  Francis  Lee,  then  commanding  the  Fourth  In- 
fantry. The  following  is  the  language  of  his. report  of  the 
storming  of  Chapultepec  : 

"At  the  first  barrier  the  enemy  was  in  strong  force, 


16  OTJK  GREAT   Gtt-PTAIKS. 

which  rendered  it  necessary  to  advance  with  caution. 
This  was  done;  and  when  the  head. of  the  battalion  was 
within  short  musket-range  of  the  barrier,  Lieutenant 
Grant,  Fourth  Infantry,  and  Captain  Brooks,  Second 
Artillery,  with  a  few  men  of  their  respective  regi- 
ments, by  a  handsome  movement  to  the  left  turned  the 
right  flank  of  the  enemy,  and  the  barrier  was  carried; 
Lieutenant  Grant  behaved  with  distinguished  gallantry 
on  the  13th  and  14th  of  September." 

Tin's,  we  presume,  was  the  first  of  General  Grant's  flank- 
ing movements,  a  kind  of  strategy  which  has  since  proved 
so  effective  on  moi*e  extensive  fields.  Colonel  Garland, 
then  in  command  of  the  First  Brigade,  added  still  stronger 
testimony  to  the  military  skill  and  admirable  conduct  of 
the  young  lieutenant  on  the  same  occasion.  For  this 
achievement  he  was  brevetted  captain,  his  rank  to  date 
from  September  13,  1847.  During  the  Mexican  war 
Lieutenant  Grant  participated  in  fourteen  battles. 

After  the  close  of"  the  war  the  volunteers  were 
mustered  out  of  service,  and  the  officers  and  soldiers 
of  the  regular  army  distributed  aiflong  the  forts  and 
posts  on  the  frontiers.  In  August,  1848,  Lieutenant 
Grant  married  Miss  Dent,  a  young  lady  residing  near 
St.  Louis,  and  soon  after  was  ordered  to  Detroit,  Mi- 
chigan, and  after  a  time  to  the  post  of  Sackett's 
Harbor,  N.  Y.,  where  in  the  quiet  of  peace  he  im- 
proved his  leisure  by  the  study  of  military  science. 
In  the  autumn  of  1851  the  Fourth  Infantry  was 
ordered  to  the  Pacific  coast  to  preserve>  order,  which 
was  greatly  endangered  by  the  reckless  and  vicious 
immigrants  who  flocked  thither  after  the  discovery  of 
The  battalion  which  Lieutenant  Grant  com- 
manded was  sent  into  Oregon,  and  had  its  headquarters 
for  Bomo  time  at  Fort  Dallas,  in  that  territory.  While 


GENERAL    GRANT.  17 

on  duty  here,  in  August,  1853,  Grant  received  his  conT- 
mission  as  captain.  The  times  were,  however,  unfavor- 
able to  military  advancement,  and  the  young  officer, 
who  had  now  served  eleven  years  in  the  army,  desirous 
of  getting  on,  and  seeing  but  little  prospect  of  promo- 
tion till  he  would  become  too  old  to  value  it,  resigned 
his  commission  on  the  31st  of  July,  1854,  and  returned 
to  civil  life. 

His  first  essay  seems  to  have  been  as  a  farmer,  on  a 
small  farm  belonging  to  his  father-in-law,  near  St.  Louis. 
But  though  industrious  and  pains-taking,  he  was  not  re- 
markably successful  as  a  farmer.  He  was,  after  a  time, 
appointed  collector  of  taxes  for  the  county ;  but  his 
straightforward  honesty  and  truthfulness  were  no  match 
for  the  craft  and  deception  of  the  delinquent  tax-payers, 
and  he  could  not  make  as  full  collections  as  men  of  a 
sterner  and  more  unscrupulous  character  would  have 
done.  The  duties  of  an  auctioneer,  an  avocation  tried 
for  a  brief  period,  were  no  better  suited  to  his  tastes. 
He  felt  that  none  of  these  pursuits  were  such  as  he  could 
fill,  either  with  credit  or  satisfaction  to  himself.  In  1859, 
his  father,  who  had  for  many  years  conducted  the  tan- 
ning business  with  success,  proposed1  to  him  to  go  into 
the  leather  arid  saddlery  business,  in  partnership  with 
him,  at  Galdha,  Illinois.  He  accepted  the  offer,  and  the 
house  of  Grant  &  Son  entered  upon  a  prosperous  busi- 
ness from  the  start.  The  quality  of  their  goods  was  of 
the  best,  and  their  dealings  were  so  honorable  and  fair 
that  customers  flowed  in  from  all  quarters,  and  the  house 
soon  became  famous,  and  was  rapidly  attaining  wealth. 
Meantime  there  were  dark  clouds  lowering  in  the  na- 
tional sky,  and  hoarse  mutterings  of  a  storm  which  was 
soon  to  burst  upon  the  land.  The  retired  captain  was 
not  so  absorbed  in  his  business  as  not  to  be  a  careful 

2* 


18  OUR  GBEAT   CAPTAINS. 

Catcher  of  the  coming  event.  When  at  last  the  echo  of 
the  guns  which  were  bombarding  Fort-  Sumter,  on  the 
12th  and  13th  of  April,  1861,  resounded  over  the  land 
and  gave  token  that  the  Rebel  leaders  had  commenced  war 
upon  the  nation,  the  quiet  business  man,  without  ado  or 
delay,  abandoned  his  business  and  gave  himself  to  the 
cause  of  his  country.  The  nation  had  educated  'him, 
and  though  he  had  served  more  than  the  prescribed  time 
to  which  he  was  pledged  in  the  army,  he  still  felt  that 
in  the  hour  of  his  country's  peril  she  had  a  strong  claim 
upon  him  for  further  service.  To  raise  a  company,  and 
march  with  it  to  Springfield  and  tender  it  to  the  gov- 
ernor, was  his  first  act,  and  was  soon  accomplished. 
One  of  the  members  of  Congress  from  Illinois  wrote 
to  Governor  Yates,  recommending  Mr.  Grant  for  a 
military  command ;  but  at  that  time,  inexperienced  iti 
the  work  of  selecting  officers  to  command  his  troops, 
and  naturally  enough  supposing  that  an  officer  should 
be  a  man  of  imposing  figure  and  lofty  stature,  Gov- 
ernor Yates  looked  with  some  curiosity  upon  the 
small  man  clad  m  homespun,  who  seemed  so  diminu- 
tive in  comparison. with  some  of  the  stalwart  gigantic 
applicants,  and  gave  him  no  appointment. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  governor  found 
himself  embarrassed  by  his  want  of  knowledge  of  the 
detail  necessary  in  the  organization  of  troops,  and,  call- 
ing upon  his  congressional  friend,  he  inquired  if  that 
little  man  whom  he  had  reconimended  to  him  under- 
stood these  matters.  The  Representative  answered  by 
bringing  Grant  to  the  governor,  and  finding  on  inquiry 
that  he  was  perfectly  conversant  with  these  details,  the 
governor  at  once  made  him  his  adjutant-general.  In 
this  position  he  worked  indefatigably,  and  soon  suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  order  out  of  confusion.  The  gov- 


GENERAL   GRANT.  19 

ernor  was  now  called  upon  by  the  President  to  name 
two  officers  for  promotion  to  the  rank  of  brigadier- 
general,  and  proposed  the  name  of  his  adjutant-general 
for  one ;  but  Grant  declined,  as  he  had  not  earned  the 
promotion.  In  June,  the  three  months'  troops  being 
organized,  Adjutant-General  Grant  made  a  flying  visit 
to  his  father  at  Covingtftn,  Ky.,  and  while  there  a  com- 
mission was  sent  him  from  Governor  Yates'as  colonel 
of  the  Twenty-first  Illinois  Volunteers.  The  colonel 
originally  appointed  to  the  command  of  this  regiment, 
one  of  Governor  Yates's  fine  commanding-looking  men, 
had  proved  utterly  wanting  in  military  capacity,  and  his 
regiment  had  fallen  into  disorder.  The  governor  had 
refused  to  commission  him,  and  inquired  of  Grant  by 
telegraph  if  he  would  take  the  command  of  the  turbu- 
lent regiment.  He  consented,  and  hastened  to  join  his 
regiment  at  Mattoon,  where  it  was  organized,  and  re- 
moved it  to  Caseyville  for  encampment.  The  new 
colonel  made  no  display  of  authority,  and  was  not  in 
the  least  boisterous,  but  by  the  quiet  influence  of  ex- 
ample, and  the  exercise  of  his  remarkable  tact,  he 
soon  had  the  regiment  under  the  strictest  discipline,  and 
in  a  month,  from  being  the  mo^t  turbulent  and  disorderly 
regiment  in  the  State,  it  became  the  model  organiza- 
tion. At  this  time  Quincy,  Illirrois,  was  thought  to 
be  in  danger,  and  an  '  application  was  made  to  the 
governor  for  a  force  for  its  protection.  It  was  difficult 
to  find  transportation,  for  Quincy  was  a  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  distant,  and  the  railroads  were  unable  to 
furnish  a  sufficient  number  of  cars.  Colonel  Grant  heard 
of  the  governor's  difficulty,  and  sent  him  word,  "  Send 
my  regiment,  and  I  will  find  the  transportation."  The 
governor  at  once  gave  orders  to  send  the  Twenty- 
first  regiment,  and  before  night  it*  commenced  its 


20  OUK  GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

march  on  foot,  and  arrived  in  due  season  in  excellent  - 
order. 

The  first  service  to  which  the  Twenty-first  Illinois  was 
assigned  was  to  guard  the  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph's 
railroad.  Several  regiments  having  been  ordered  to  this 
service,  it  was  necessary  that  one  of  the  regimental  com- 
manders should  become  acting  brigadier-general,  and 
control  the  whole,  as  no  brigadier-general  had  been  as- 
signed to  the  command.  For  this  office  Grant,  though 
the  youngest'  colonel  on  the  ground,  was  selected,  and 
took  command  at  Mexico,  Missouri,  July '31,  1861.  On 
the  9th  of  August,  Colonel  Grant  was  commissioned 
brigadier-general,  and  sent  with  an  adequate  force  to 
Southern  Missouri,  where  the  rebel  General  Jeff.  Thomp- 
son was  threatening  an  advance.  He  visited  Ironton, 
superintended  the  erection  of  fortifications  there  and  at 
Marble  creek,  and,  leaving  a  garrison  in  each  place  to 
defend  it,  hastened  to  Jefferson  City,  which  was  also 
threatened,  and  protected  it  from  rebel  attacks  for  ten 
days,  when  Thompson,  having  abandoned  his  purpose, 
General  Grant  left  the  Missouri  capital  to  enter  upon  the 
command  of  the  important  district  of  Cairo. 

It  was  while  he  was  in  Southern  Missouri,  his  biogra- 
phers say,  that  he  issued  his  famous  special  order  con- 
cerning Mrs.  Selvidge's  pie.  The  incident,  which  illus- 
trates somewhat  forcibly  the  quiet  humor  which  is  a 
marked  characteristic  of  the  general,  was  something 
like  this: 

In  the  rapid  marches  of  his  force  in  Southern  Mis- 
souri, their  rations  were  often  scanty,  and  not  very 
palatable,  but  the  region  was  poor  and  sparsely  set- 
tled, and,  for  the  most  part,  there  was  no  chance  of 
procuring  food  from  the  inhabitants  of  the  country 
through  which  they  were  passing.  At  length,  how- 


GENERAL   GRANT.  21 

ever,  they  emerged  into  a  better  and  more  cultivated 
section,  and  Lieutenant  Wickham,  of  an  Indiana  cavalry 
regiment,  who  was  in  command  of  the  advance  guard  of 
eight  men,  halted  at  a  farm-house  of  somewhat  more  com- 
fortable appearance  than  any  which  they  had  passed, 
and  entered  the  dwelling  with  two  second-lieutenants. 
Pretending  to  be  Brigadier-General  Grant,  he  demanded 
food  for  himself  and  his  staff.  The  family,  whose  loyalty 
was  somewhat  doubtful,  alarmed  at  the  idea  of  the  Union 
general  being  on  their  premises,  hastily  brought  forward 
the  best  their  house  afforded,  at  the  same  time  loudly 
protesting  their  attachment  to  the  Union  cause.  The 
lieutenants  ate  their  fill,  and,  offering  to  compensate 
their  hosts,  were  told  that  there  was  nothing  to  pay ; 
whereupon  they  went  on  their  way,  chuckling  at  their 
adroitness  in  getting  so  good  a  dinner  for  nothing.  Soon 
after,  General  Grant,  who  had  halted  his  army  for  a  short 
rest  a  few  miles  further  back,  came  up,  and  being  rather 
favorably  impressed  with  the  appearance  of  the  farm- 
house, rode  up  to  the  door  and  asked  if  they  would  cook 
him  a  meal.  The  woman,  who  grudged  the  food  al- 
ready furnished  to  the  self-styled  general  and  his  staff, 
replied  gruffly,  "  No  !  General  Grant  and  his  staff  have 
just  been  here,  and  eaten  every  thing  in  the  house,  ex- 
cept one  pumpkin-pie." 

"  Ah !"  said  Grant ;  "  what  is  your  name  ?" 

"  Selvidge,"  answered  the  woman. 

Tossing  her  a  half-dollar,  the  general  asked,  "  Will 
you  keep  that  pie  till  I  send  an  officer  for  it  ?" 

"  I  will,"  said  the  woman. 

The   general  and  staff  rode  on,  and  soon  a  camping 
ground  was  selected,  and  the  regiments  were  notified 
that  there  would  be  a  grand  parade  at  half-past  six  for  • 
orders.     This  was  unusual,  and  neither  officers  nor  men 


22  OUR  GREAT  CAPTAINS. 

could  imagine  what  was  coming.  The  parade  was 
formed,  however,  ten  columns  deep  and  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  in  length.  After  the  usual  review,  the  assistant 
adjutant-general  read  the  following : 

"HEADQUARTERS,  ARMY  m  THE  FIELD. 

"  Special  Order,  No. . 

"  Lieutenant  Wickham,  of  the Indiana  Cavalry, 

having  on  this  day  eaten  every  thing  in  Mrs.  Selvidge's 
house,  at  the  crossing  of  the  Ironton  and  Pocahontas 
and  Black  river  and  Cape  Girardeau  roads,  except  one 
pumpkin  pie,  Lieutenant  Wickfield  is  hereby  ordered  to 
return  with  an  escort  of  one  hundred  cavalry  and  eat 

that  pie  also. 

"U.  S.  GRANT, 
"  Brigadier-general  commanding." 

To  attempt  to  evade  this  order  was  useless,  and  at 
seven  o'clock  the  lieutenant  filed  out  of  camp  with  his 
hundred  men,  amid  the  cheers  of  the  whole  army.  The 
escort  witnessed  the  eating  of  the  pie,  the  whole  of 
which  the  lieutenant  succeeded  in  devouring,  and  re- 
turned to  camp. 

The  post  of  Cairo,  the  headquarters  of  the  district  to 
the  command  of  which  General  Grant  was  now  ordered, 
was  one,  from  its  position,  of  great  importance  to  the 
Union  cause.  It  commanded  both  the  Ohio  and  the- 
Upper  Mississippi,  and  was  the  depot  of  supplies  for  an 
extensive  region  above,  and  subsequently  below.  Grant's 
command  extended  along  the  shores  of  the  Mississippi 
as  far  as  Cape  Girardeau,  and  on  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth 
of  Green  river,  and  included  Western  Kentucky.  That 
State  at  this  time  was  trying  to  maintain  a  neutral  posi- 
tion, favoring  neither  the  Union  nor  the  rebels,  a  posi- 


GENERAL   GRANT.  23 

tion  which  was  as  absurd  as  it  was  soon  found  to  be  im- 
possible. The  rebels  were  the  first  to  cross  the  lines 
and  take  possession  of  the  important  towns  of  Columbus 
"and  Hickman,  on  the  Mississippi,  and  Bowling  Green  on 
the  Green  river,  all  of  which  they  fortified.  General 
Grant  was  apprized  of  these  violations  of  Kentucky's 
professed  neutrality,  and  as  they  afforded  him  ample 
justification  for  occupying  positions  within  the  State,  he 
quietly  sent  a  body  of  troops  on  the  6th  of  September 
up  the  Ohio  to  Paducah,  a  town  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Tennessee,  and  took  possession  of  it  at  the  time  when 
the  secessionists  there  were  poking  for  the  entry  of  the 
rebel  troops  who  were  marching  to  occupy  it.  The  rage 
of  these  enemies  of  the  country  can  be  better  imagined 
than  described.  Rebel  flags  were  flaunted  in  the  faces 
of  our  troops,  and  they  were  told  that  they  should  not 
long  retain  possession  of  the  town. 

This  did  not, "  however,  in  the  least  disturb  the  equa- 
nimity of  General  Grant.  He  issued  a  proclamation  to 
the  inhabitants,  informing  them  of  hjis  reasons  for  taking 
possession  of  the  town,  and  that  he  was  prepared  to 'de- 
fend the  citizens  against  the  enemy  ;  and  added,  signifi- 
cantly, that  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  opinions,  but 
should  deal  only  with  armed  rebellion,  and  its  aiders 
and  abettors. 

On  the  25th  of  September  he  dispatched  a  force  to 
Smithland,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cumberland  river,  and 
took  possession  of  that  town  also.  The  principal  avenues 
through  which  the.  rebels  had  obtained  supplies  of  food, 
clothing,  arms,  and  ammunition,  from  the  North,  were 
thus  effectually  closed. 

When  General  Grant  was  assigned  to  the  command 
at  Cairo,  General  McClernand's  brigade  and  some  other 
troops  were  added  to  his  own  brigade.  Having  taken 


24  CUE  GREAT  CAPTAINS. 

» 

possession  of  Paducah  and  Smithland,  he  now  began  to 
turn  his  attention  to  Columbus,  Ky.,  an  important  posi- 
tion, held  by  the  rebel  Major-General  Polk  (a  former 
bishop  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church)  with  a  force 
of  twenty  thousand  men.  He  had  nearly  completed  his 
arrangements  for  attacking  this  post,  when  the  Govern- 
ment ordered  him  to  send  five  of  his  regiments  tp  St. 
Louis ;  this  left  him  too  weak  to  make  the  attack  with 
any  hope  of  success.  Meantime,  there  had  been  some 
correspondence  between  General  Polk  and  General 
Grant,  concerning  an  exchange  of  prisoners,  of  which 
each  side  had  taken  a  coi^iderable  number.  General 
Polk  commenced  the  correspondence,  proposing  the  ex- 
change, and  referred  repeatedly  in  his  communication 
to  the  Confederate  army  and  the  Confederate  States. 
General  Grant  replied  that  he  had  no  authority  to  make 
exchanges ;  that  he  recognized  no  southern  confederacy 
himself,  but  would  communicate  with  higher  authorities 
for  their  views,  and,  should  he  not  be  sustained,  would 
find  means  of  communicating  with  him. 

On  the  16th  of  October,  General  Grant  having  learned 
that  the  rebel  General  Jeff.  Thompson  was  approaching 
Pilot  Knob,  Mo.,  and  evidently  purposing  an  extensive 
raid  through  Southeastern  Missouri,  ordered  fifteen 
hundred  men,  under  Colonel  Plummer,  then  stationed  at 
Cape  Girardeau,  to  move  towards  Fredericktown,  Mo., 
by  way  of  Jackson  and  Dallas,  forming  a  junction  at  the 
latter  place-  with  Colonel  Carlin,  who  had  been  ordered 
to  move  with  three  thousand  men  from  another  point, 
and,  pursuing  Thompson,  to  defeat  and  rout  his  forcev 
The  expeditions  were  successful.  Thompson  was  found, 
on  the  21st  of  October,  not  far  from  Dallas,  on  the 
Greenville  road,  and,  after  an  action  of  two  and  a  half 
hours,  defeated  and  routed  with  very  heavy  loss.  Co- 


GENERAL   GRANT.  25 

lonel  Plummer  captured  in  this  engagement  forty-two 
prisoners  and  one  twelve-pounder. 

By  this  expedition,  General  Grant  ascertained  the  posi- 
tion and  strength  of  Jeff.  Thompson's  forces,  and  learned 
also  that  the  rebels  were  concentrating  a  considerable 
force  at  Belmont,  Missouri,  nearly  opposite  Columbus, 
Ky.,  with  a  view  to  blockade  the  Mississippi  river,  and 
to  move  speedily  upon  his  position  at  Cftiro.  Having 
received  orders  to  that  effect  from  his  superior  officers, 
General  Grant  resolved  to  break  up  this  camp,  although 
aware  that  the  rebels  could  be  reinforced  to  almost  any 
extent  from  Columbus,  Ky. 

On  the  evening  of  the  6th  of  November,  General 
Grant  embarked  two  brigades,  hi  all  about  two  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  and  fifty  men,  under  his  own 
and  General  McClernand's  command,  on  board  river 
steamers,  and  moved  down  the  Mississippi.  He  had 
previously  detached  small  bodies  of  troops  to  threaten 
Columbus  from  different  directions,  and  to  deceive  the 
rebels  as  to  his  intentions.  The  ruse  was  successful,  and 
the  force  which  he  commanded  in  person  reached  the 
vicinity  of  Belmont,  and  landed  before  the  enemy  had 
comprehended  their  intention.  The  Union  troops,  dis- 
embarking with  great  promptness,  marched  rapidly 
towards  the  rebel  camp,  a  distance  of  about  two  and  a 
half  miles,  and,  forcing  their  way  through  a  dense 
abatis  and  other  obstructions,  charged  through  the 
camp,  capturing  their  camp  equipage,  artillery,  and 
small-arms,  and  burned  the  tents,  blankets,  &c.  They 
also  took  a  large  number  of  prisoners.  The  rebel  force 
at  the  camp  was  not  far  from  4,000,  but  General  Polk, 
learning  of  the  attack,  sent  over  as  reinforcements  eight 
regiments,  or  somewhat  more  than  4,000  more  troops, 
\inder  the  command  of  Generals  Pillow  and  Cheatham, 

3 


26  OUR  GEEAT   CAPTAINS. 

and  finally  crossed  the  river  himself  and  took  com- 
mand.' General  Grant  having  accomplished  all,  and 
more  than  he  expected,  and  being  aware  that  Belmont 
was  covered  by  the  batteries  at  Columbus,  and  that 
heavy  reinforcements  could  readily  be  sent  from  thence, 
made  no  attempt  to  hold  the  position,  but  withdrew  in 
good  order.  On  their  way  to  their  transports,  the 
Union  troops  were  confronted  by  the  fresh  rebel  force 
under  Folk's  command,  and  a  severe  battle  ensued, 
during  which  a  considerable  number  of  the  rebel  pris- 
oners made  their  escape ;  and  there  were  heavy  losses 
in  killed  and  wounded  on  both  sides,  the  Union  loss 
amounting  to  nearly  one  hundred  killed,  and  four  hun- 
dred or  five  hundred  wounded  and  missing,  the  larger 
part  of  whom  were  prisoners.  What  was  the  exact 
rebel  loss  has  never  transpired,  but  it  is  known  to  have 
been  larger  than  this,  the  number  of  prisoners  alone  ex- 
ceeding the  total  Union  loss.  The  Union  troops  at 
length  succeeded  in  reaching  their  transports  and  re- 
embarking,  under  the  protection  of  the  gunboats  Tyler 
and  Lexington,  which  had  conveyed  them,  bringing 
with  them  two  cannon  which  they  had  captured,  and 
spiking  two  others,  which  they  were  obliged  to  abandon. 
This  action,  which  was  represented  in  some  quarters  as 
a  Union  defeat,  proved  to  have  been  rather  a  Union  vic- 
tory, the  advantages  being  decidedly  on  the  part  of 
General  Grant,  and  his  men  having,  by  the  action, 
gained  confidence  in  themselves  and  in  their  com- 
mander. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  General  Halleck,  who  was 
then  in  command  of  the  western  department,  reorganized 
the  districts  of  his  command,  and  enlarged  the  district 
of  Cairo,  including  in  it  all  the  southern  portion  of  Illi- 
nois, all  of  Kentucky  west  of  the  Cumberland  river, 


GENEEAL   GRANT.  27 

and  the  southern  counties  of  Missouri,  and  appointed 
General  Grant  commander  of  the  new  district.  Large 
numbers  of  troops  newly  mustered  into  the  service,  and 
as  yet  untrained  to  military  duties,  poured  into  this  dis- 
trict, some  for  service  within  its  limits,  others  intended 
to  reinforce  the  armies  in  other  districts.  General  Grant 
maintained  a  vigilant  supervision  over  these,  and,  where- 
ever  it  was  possible,  subjected  them  to  a  thorough  dis- 
cipline, organization,  and  training,  to  qualify  them  for 
service,  and  then  distributed  them  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible to  the  various  posts  within  his  district,  or,  when 
so  directed,  to  other  points.  On  the  10th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1862,  the  troops  under  the  command  of  General 
McClernand  were  sent  in  transports,  convoyed  by  two 
gunboats,  to  Fort  Jefferson,  Ky.,  and  landed  there,  the 
gunboats  being  ordered  to  lie  off  the  fort.  The  rebels 
•attacked  these  gunboats  with  three  vessels  the  next  day, 
but  were  beaten  off  after  a  brisk  engagement,  and  pur- 
sued till  they  took  refuge  under  the  batteries  of 
Columbus. 

On  the  14th  of  January,  1862,  General  Grant  made 
an  extended  reconnoissance  in  force,  moving  in  three 
columns,  by  different  routes,  to  explore  the  country  east 
of  Columbus,  and  ascertain  the  rebel  strength  and  posi- 
tion, with  a  view  to  an  important  enterprise  soon  to  be 
undertaken.  The  reconnoissance  was  a  severe  and  la- 
borious one  for  raw  troops,  on  account  of  the  weather 
and  the  condition  of  the  roads,  but  it  was  in  every 
respect  successful.  On  this  march,  General  Grant  issued 
general  orders,  the  first,  it  is  believed,  issued  during  the 
war,  prohibiting,  under  the  severest  penalties,  all  private 
plundering  and  straggling,  and  directing  the  order  of 
march.  The  gunboats  which  had  been  constructed 
during  the  autumn  and  winter  on  the  Mississippi, 


28  OUR  GREAT  CAPTAINS. 

above  Cairo,  were  now  completed,  and  General  Grant 
called  for  volunteers  from  the  troops  to  man  them,  as 
there  was  a  lack  of  sailors  to  make  up  the  complement 
for  their  efficient  management.  The  number  of  volun- 
teers proved  sufficient,  and  the  gunboat  flotilla,  under 
the  command  of  Flag-officer  (afterwards  Rear-Admiral) 
A.  H.  Foote,  was  soon  ready  for  action. 

Grant  kept  up  his  feint  of  attacking  Columbus,  and 
by  his  movements  and  general  orders,  issued  for  effect, 
led  the  rebels  to  concentrate  at  that  point  most  of  their 
available  forces,  while  he  was  preparing  for  a  flank 
movement  in  a  different  direction,  which  would  compel 
them  to  evacuate  that  post  without  his  striking  a  blow. 
Two  large  divisions  were  secretly  concentrated  at  Pa- 
ducah  and  Smithland,  at  the  mouths  of  the  Tennessee 
and  Cumberland  rivers,  under  the  command  of  Generals 
C.  F.  Smith  and  Lewis  Wallace ;  and  the  other  two  di- 
visions under  his  command,  which  were  apparently  ready 
to  pounce  upon  Columbus,  were  quietly  withdrawn,  and 
one  being  left  to  hold  his  base  at  Cairo,  the  other  was 
transferred  by  night  to  Paducah,  on  the  night  of  Feb. 
2d,  and,  with  the  troops  already  there,  moved  directly 
upon  Fort  Henry  on  the  Tennessee  river.  The  gun- 
boats were  also  moving  for  the  same  point,  and  arrived 
on  the  morning  of  February  6th,  in  advance  of  the 
troops,  who  were  delayed  by  the  condition  of  the  roads. 
Grant  was  hastening  forward  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and 
was  prepared  to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  garrison.  Flag- 
officer  Foote,  having  ascertained  that  the  rebels  were 
expecting  reinforcements,  resolved  to  attack  the  fort 
without  waiting  for  the  land  forces  to  come  up.  He  did 
so;  and,  after  an  engagement  of  an  hour  and  a  quarter, 
the  garrison  surrendered  the  fort,  the  rebel  forces  out- 
side having  made  their  escape  to  Fort  Donelson. 


GENERAL   GRANT.  29 

General  Grant  came  up  within  an  hour,  and  the  fort 
and  its  contents  was  handed  over  to  him.  The  disposi- 
tions he  had  made  would  have  insured  its  capture  the 
same  day,  had  Flag-officer  Foote  not  anticipated  the 
time  of  attack. 

The  capture  of  Fort  Henry,  however,  was  but  one 
item  in  the  programme  which  General  Grant  had 
marked  out  for  accomplishment.  Fort  Donelson,  a 
much  larger  and  stronger  work,  and  defended  by  a 
garrison  of  more  than  twenty  thousand  men,  and  lying 
nearly  east  of  Fort  Henry,  still  obstructed  the  passage 
of  the  Cumberland,  and  forbade  the  advance  of  the 
Union  forces  southward.  To  possess  himself  of  this  im- 
portant fortress  was  the  design  of  General  Grant,  and 
ordering  up  all  the  available  forces  of  his  district  to  join 
him  on  the  strip  of  land  lying  between  the  Tennessee 
and  Cumberland  rivers,  near  the  Kentucky  line,  on 
the  llth  of  February  the  three  divisions  constituting 
his  force,  under  the  command  of  Generals  McCler- 
nand,  C.  F.  Smith,  and  Lewis  Wallace,  moved  by 
different  routes  towards  Fort  Donelson,  and  by  the 
evening  of  the  12th  were  in  front  of  the  fort.  General 
Grant  proceeded  at  once  to  put  them  in  position  to  in- 
vest the  fort,  though,  owing  to  the  non-arrival  of  the 
gunboats,  which  had  been  obliged  to  descend  the  Ten- 
nessee and  ascend  the  Cumberland,  the  river  front  of  the 
fort  was  still  open.  On  the  morning  of  the  13th  the 
Carondelet,  the  only  gunboat  which  had  arrived,  by 
General  Grant's  direction  engaged  the  fort  for  two 
hours,  and  then  withdrew.  The  object  of  this  diver- 
sion was  to  give  time  for  the  remainder  of  his  troops 
and  the  gunboats  to  arrive  by  way  of  the  river.  On 
the  14th,  the  gunboats  and  troops  having  arrived,  a 
combined  attack  by  the  land  and  marine  forces  was 

3* 


30  OTJK   GKEAT  CAPTAINS. 

ordered.  The  principal  attack  was  made  by  the  gun- 
boats, which  silenced  the  water-batteries;  but,  after  a 
protracted  contest,  two  of  the  iron-clads  were  disabled 
by  plunging  shots  from  the  higher  batteries,  and  two 
others  so  much  injured  that  a  single  shot  might  disable- 
them  entirely.  Under  these  circumstances,  Flag-officer 
Foote,  who  had  already  been  wounded*,  decided  to  with- 
draw from  the  action.  General  Grant  now  proposed  to 
reduce  the  fort  by  siege,  but  on  the  morning  of  the  15th 
the  enemy  made  a  sudden  and  desperate  sortie  from 
their  works  upon  the  extreme  right  of  the  Union  line, 
and  at  first  broke  it  and  captured  two  batteries  of  artil- 
lery. Very  soon  the  troops  were  rallied,  reinforcements 
brought  up,  and  all  but  three  of  the  captured  guns  re- 
taken. The  rebels  in  turn  were  reinforced,  and  again 
broke  through  the  Union  lines  and  drove  back  the  sup- 
porting regiments,  holding  the  position  they  had  gained 
with  great  tenacity.  At  this  time  the  Union  centre  had 
advanced  and  gained  some  successes  in  the  rebel  line, 
but  so  successful  had  the  rebels  been  on  the  right  that 
the  day  seemed  lost.  General  Pillow,  the  second  officer 
in  command  in  the  rebel  fort,  telegraphed  to  Nashville, 
"  Upon  the  honor  of  a  soldier,  the  day  is  ours."  But 
while  some  of  the  Union  officers  gave  way  to  despond- 
ency, no  such  feeling  found  a  place  in  the  heart  of 
General  Grant.  At  the  darkest  moment,  he  exclaimed 
to  one  of  his  staff,  after  comparing  the  reports  of  the  of- 
ficers sent  into  headquarters,  "Good!  we  have  them 
now  exactly  where  we  want  them."  General  C.  F. 
Smith,  one  of  the  ablest  officers  in  the  army,  was  ordered 
to  make  a  vigorous  assault  with  his  fresh  troops  on  the 
left  of  the  line,  and  carry  it  at  whatever  cost;  and, 
meantime,  Lewis  Wallace  was  to  hurl  his  force  against 
the  enemy  in  their  advanced  position  on  the  right,  and 


GENERAL  GRANT.  31 

drive  them  back  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  General 
Smith's  advance  was  one  of  the  finest  of  the  war.  With 
his  cap  lifted,  and  his  gray  hair  streaming  in  the  wind, 
he  galloped  along  the  front  of  his  men,  unheeding  the 
missiles  which  flew  thick  around  him  like  the  pattering 
of  a  heavy  rain.  "  Steady !  men ;  steady !"  rang  out  in 
his  clear  tones ;  and  steadily  they  advanced,  though  at 
every  step  their  lines  were  thinned  by  the  deadly  minie 
balls.  They  reached  the  line  of  the  rebel  troops,  and 
drove  them  back,  back,  till  they  had  gained  a  position 
from  which  they  could  render  the  strongest  portion  of 
the  fort  untenable.  Then  rang  out  their  hurrahs,  and 
the  whole  army  resounded  with  shouts  of  triumph. 
Wallace  had  done  his  work  well ;  and  at  sunset  the 
Union  army  occupied  a  position  along  the  whole  line 
which  it  was  evident  would  give  them  the  fort  in  an- 
other day.  That  night  the  rebel  generals  held  a  council 
to  deliberate  on  their  action  for  the  morrow.  General 
Buckner,  who  had  held  the  position  on  the  left,  from 
which  he  had  been  driven  by  General  Smith,  declared 
that  he  could  not  hold  his  post  a  half-hour  if  the  Union 
troops  should  attack,  as  they  were  certain  to  do,  at  day- 
break ;  that  his  men  were  too  jmuch  wearied  and  dis- 
couraged to  fight,  and  proposed  to  treat  with  Grant  for 
an  armistice,  and  to  capitulate  on  the  best  terms  that 
could  be  obtained.  Floyd  and  Pillow  objected  to  this ; 
they  were  unwilling  to  be  taken  prisoners, — Floyd,  in  par- 
ticular, being  conscious  of  a  record  as  secretary  of  war 
which  would  put  his  life  in  peril.  There  was  some  talk 
of  attempting  to  fight  their  way  out,  but  Buckner  de- 
clared that  three-fourths  of  the  troops  would  be  sacri- 
ficed in  the  attempt ;  and  it  was  finally  arranged  that 
Floyd  and  Pillow  should  relinquish  their  commands  to 
Buckner,  and  escape  with  what  troops  they  could  take 


32  OUK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

away,  and  Buckner  should  surrender  with  the  re- 
mainder. Accordingly,  Floyd  and  Pillow  stole  away 
during  the  night  with  one  brigade  of  rebel  troops,  and 
embarking  on  some  small  steamboats  in  the  river,  made 
their  escape  to  Nashville. 

At  dawn  of  the  16th,  a  messenger,  bearing  a  flag  of 
truce,  approached  the  Union  lines  with  a  message  for 
General  Grant.  It  was  as  follows  : 

"  HEADQUARTERS,  FORT  DONELSON,) 
FEBRUARY  16,  1862.        f 

"Sm, — In  consideration  of  all  the  circumstances  gov- 
erning the  present  situation  of  aifairs  at  this  station,  I 
propose  to  the  commanding  officer  of  the  Federal  forces 
the  appointment  of  commissioners  to  agree  upon  terms 
of  capitulation  of  the  forces  and  fort  under  my  com- 
mand, and  in  that  view  suggest  an  armistice  till  twelve 
o'clock  to-day. 

I  am,  sir,  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
S.  B.  BUCKKER,  Buia-GEN.,  C.  S.  A. 
To  BRIGADIER-GENERAL  GRANT,  commanding 

United  States  forces  near  Fort  Donelson." 

The  writer  of  this  note  knew  what  Grant  did  not, 
that  he  was  powerless  to  continue  the  contest  another 
hour,  and  that  his  two  senior  generals  and  a  part  of  his 
troops  had  already  fled ;  but  Grant  was  fully  assured 
that  before  sunset  of  that  day  he  could  carry  the  fort  by 
force  of  arms,  though  perhaps  with  considei«able  loss ; 
but  he  had  no  disposition  to  hold  parley  long  with  a 
traitor^  nor  to  yield  other  and  better  conditions  fb.  him 
than  such  as  he  had  the  power  to  enforce  within  a  few 
hours,  and  he  accordingly  sent  back  by  Buckner's  mes- 
senger the  following  brief  but  decisive  reply: 


GENERAL   GRANT.  33 

"  HEADQUARTERS,  ARMY  IN  THE  FIELD,     ) 
CAMP  NEAR  DONELSON,  FEB.  16, 1862.  ) 

To  GENERAL  S.  B.  BUCKNER,  Confederate  Army, 

Yours  of  this  date  proposing  an  armistice,  and  ap- 
pointment of  commissioners  to  settle  terms  of  capitula- 
tion, is  just  received.  No  terms  other  than  uncondi- 
tional and  immediate  surrender  can  be  accepted.  I pro- 
pose to  move  immediately  upon  your  works." 
I  am,  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

U.  S.  GRANT, 
Brig.-Gen.,  U.  S.  A.,  commanding." 

The  rebel  general  was  greatly  chagrined  at  this  reply, 
but,  knowing  his  inability  to  sustain  another  assault,  he 
was  compelled  to  submit,  which  he  did  most  ungra- 
ciously in  the  following  letter : 

"  HEADQUARTERS,  DOVER,  TENN.,    ) 
FEB.  16, 1869. ) 

To  BRIGADIER-GENERAL  U.  S.  GRANT,  U.  S.  A. 

SIR, — The  distribution  of  the  forces  under  my  com- 
mand, incident  to  an  unexpected  change  of  commanders, 
and  the  overwhelming  force  under  your  command, 
compel  me,  notwithstanding  the  brilliant  success  of  the 
Confederate  arms  yesterday,  to  accept  the  ungenerous 
and  unchivalrous  terms  which  you  propose. 

I  am,  sir,  your  very  obedient  servant, 
S.  B.  BUCKNER, 

Brig.-Gen.,  C.  S.  A." 

g 
By  this  surrender  the  Union  troops  received,  and  the 

rebels  lost,  over  thirteen  thousand  prisoners,  including 
one  brigadier-general  and  numerous  inferior  officers, 
three  thousand  horses,  forty-eight  field-pieces,  seventeen 


34  OUR   GREAT  CAPTAINS. 

heavy  guns,  twenty  thousand  stand  of  arms,  and  a  large 
quantity  of  commissary  stores.  The  rebel  loss,  aside 
from  this,  was  230  killed,  and  1,007  wounded,  some 
of  whom  were  prisoners.  The  Union  loss  was,  killed 
446,  wounded  1,135,  prisoners  150.  The  day  after  the 
capitulation  two  regiments  of  rebel  Tennesseans,  num- 
bering 1,745  officers  arid  men,  who  had  been  ordered  to 
reinforce  Fort  Donelson,  but  were  unaware  of  the  sur- 
render, marched  into  the  fort  with  colors  flying,  and 
were  at  once  made  prisoners. 

The  capture  of  these  forts  having  effectually  flanked 
the  rebel  posts  of  Columbus  and  Bowling  Green,  Ky., 
the  rebel  commanders  made  all  haste  to  evacuate  them, 
Polk  descending  the  river  to  island  No.  Ten,  and  John- 
ston making  a  hurried  retreat  to  Nashville,  Tenn. 

The  victory  thus  won  caused  the  promotion  of  General 
Grant  to  the  major-generalship,  his  commission  dating 
Feb.  16,  1862.  It  may  be  as  well  in  this  place  to  meet 
the  charge  which  was  about  this  time  industriously  prop- 
agated, that  General  Grant  was  addicted  to  habits  of 
intemperance.  The  masterly  manner  in  which  he  had 
conducted  the  brief  campaign  just  closed  was  in  itself  an 
indication  that  he  could  not  have  been,  as  was  freely 
charged,  an  habitual  drunkard  ;  but  we  have  other  and 
conclusive  evidence  that  the  charge,  however  it  origi- 
nated, was  wholly  false.  His  father,  and  the  officers  of 
his  staff,  who  have  been  with  him  throughout  the  war, 
testify  that  he  is,  and  has  been  from  his  youth,  one  of 
the  most  abstemious  of  men,  rarely  or  never  tasting  in- 
toxicating liquors,  even  as  a  medicine. 

'On  the  14th  of  February,  General  Halleck,  foreseeing 
the  result  which  soon  followed,  announced  the  formation 
of  the  new  military  district  of  West  Tennessee,  bounded 
on  the  south  by  Tennessee  river  and  the  State  line  of 


GENERAL   GKANT.  35 

Mississippi,  and  west  by  the  Mississippi  river  as  far 
north  as  Cairo.  To  the  command  of  this  new  district 
he  assigned  General  Grant,  with  permission  to  select  his 
own  headquarters. 

In  taking  command  of  this  new  district,  on  the  lYth 
of  February,  General  Grant  first  issued  the  following 
congratulatory  order  to  the  troops  which  had  aided  in 
the  reduction  of  Fort  Donelson : 

"  HEADOJTABTERS,  DISTRICT  OF  WEST  TENNESSEE,  ) 
FORT  DONELSON,  FEB.  17, 1862.     y 

General  Order,  No.  2. 

The  General  commanding  takes  great  pleasure  in  con- 
gratulating the  troops  of  this  command  for  the  triumph 
over  rebellion  gained  by  their  valor  on  the  thirteenth, 
fourteenth,  and  fifteenth  instant.  For  four  successive 
nights,  without  shelter,  during  the  most  inclement  wea- 
ther known  in  this  latitude,  they  faced  an  enemy  in 
large  force,  in  a  position  chosen  by  himself.  Though 
strongly  fortified  by  nature,  all  the  additional  safeguards 
suggested  by  science  were  added.  Without  a  murmur 
this  was  borne,  prepared  at  all  times  to  receive  an  at- 
tack, and  with  continuous  skirmishing  by  day,  resulting 
ultimately  in  forcing  the  enemy  to  surrender  without 
conditions.  The  victory  achieved  is  not  only  great  in 
the  effect  it  will  have  in  breaking  down  rebellion,  but 
has  secured  the  greatest  number  of  prisoners  of  war  ever 
taken  in  any  battle  on  this  continent. 

Fort  Donelson  Avill  hereafter  be  marked  in  capitals 
on  the  map  of  our  united  country,  and  the  men  who 
fought  the  battle  will  live  in  the  memory  of  a  grateful 
people. 

By  order  of 

U.  S.  GRANT, 

Brig.-Gen.  commanding." 


36  OUB  GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

It  was  no  part  of  General  Grant's  policy  to  rest  satis- 
fied with  this  victory.  The  enemy  whom  he  had  thus 
driven  from  one  stronghold  must  be  followed  promptly, 
and  driven  successively  from  each  one  where  they  might 
seek  shelter.  The  district  of  West  Tennessee,  now 
nominally,  must  be  very  soon  really  in  his  possession, 
and  the  rebel  army  captured  or  driven  far  towards  the 
Gulf.  Immediate  preparation  was  therefore  made  for 
an  advance.  The  gunboats  were  ordered  to  ascend  the 
Cumberland,  and  a  land  force,  consisting  of  a  division  of 
Grant's  army,  under  command  of  General  C.  F.  Smith, 
marched  along  the  west  bank  of  that  river  to  keep  them 
company. 

On  the  20th  of  February,  Clarksville,  the  most  im- 
portant depot  of  supplies  on  the  river,  was  captured 
without  a  fight,  and  supplies  sufficient  to  sustain  Grant's? 
whole  Army  for  twenty  days  were  found  there.  This 
place  was  at  once  garrisoned  and  held,  while  the  gun- 
boats continued  to  ascend  the  river  to  open  the  way  for 
the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  under  command  of  General  Bueli, 
which  was  marching  from  Bowling  Green  to  occupy 
Nashville.  On  the  22d  of  February,  General  Grant, 
who  remained  for  a  time  at  Fort  Donelson  to  or- 
ganize the  troops  constantly  arriving,  and  to  send 
forward  men  and  supplies,  issued  an  order  declaring 
his  district  under  martial 'law;  and  on  the  25th,  pub- 
lished a  general  order  received  from  General  Halleck, 
prohibiting,  under  severe  penalties,  all  pillaging,  ma- 
rauding, the  destruction  of  private  property,  and  the 
stealing  and  concealment  of  slaves,  and  defining  the 
status  of  non-combatants,  and  the  rules  to  be  ob- 
served in  obtaining  forced  contributions  for  supplies 
and  subsistence. 

After  the  fall  of  Nashville,  the  gunboats  returned  to 


GENERAL   GKANT,  37 

the  Ohio  river,  and  ascended  the  Tennessee  river  as  far 
as  Florence,  Alabama.  Their  reconnoissance  demon- 
strated the  fact  that  there  were  no  considerable  bodies 
of  rebel  troops  along  the  river,  and  that  a  base  of  opera- 
tions could  be  established  near  the  southern  line  of  his 
district.  In  the  interval  which  must  necessarily  elapse 
before  this  change  could  be  effected,  he  removed  his 
headquarters  to  Fort  Henry,  and  continued  the  organi- 
zation of  the  troops  now  constantly  ascending  the  Ten- 
nessee river,  sending  small  bodies  in  every  direction  to 
scour  the  country,  who  occasionally  encountered  the 
enemy,  and,  in  one  instance  (at  Paris,  Tenn.)  met  and 
defeated  a  considerable  rebel  force,  causing  them  to  lose 
in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  over  one  hundred 
men. 

While  engaged  in  this  work  of  organizing  troops,  on 
the  Hth  of  March,  General  Grant  was  presented  with  an 
elegant  sword  by  four  of  the  colonels  of  regiments  con- 
stituting the  garrison  of  Fort  Henry. 

The  rebel  commander-in-chief,  Albert  Sydney  John- 
ston, after  he  had  been  compelled  to  abandon  Nashville, 
concentrated  his  troops  at  Corinth,  Mississippi,  the  point 
of  junction  of  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  and  Memphis  and 
Charleston  railroads,  a  position  which,  from  its  connec- 
tions with  the  great  network  of  railroads  traversing  the 
Southern  States,  was  admirably  adapted  to  the  collec- 
tion of  troops  from  all  quarters,  and,  from  its  great 
natural  strength  and  capacity  for  fortification,  could 
readily  be  made  a  most  formidable  position.  To  this 
point  were  brought,  with  the  greatest  possible  rapidity, 
all  the  rebel  troops  which  could  be  collected  from  the 
Southwest,  and  organized  under  the  supervision  of 
Generals  Johnston,  Beauregard,  Bragg,  Hardee,  and 
Polk.  Corinth  was  but  little  more  than  twenty-five 

4 


38  OUR  GEEAT   CAPTAINS. 

miles  from  Savannah,  Tennessee,  the  point  first  selected 
by  General  Grant  as  his  base  of  operations,  and  was  still 
nearer  to  Pittsburg  Landing  or  Shiloh,  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  Tennessee,  the  point  finally  selected  from 
strategic  considerations  by  Major-General  C.  F.  Smith, 
who  was  in  command  in  the  absence  of  General  Grant 
at  Fort  Henry.  General  Buell  with  the  army  of  the 
Ohio,  which  had  been  in  the  service  longer  than  most 
of  Grant's  troops,  was  ordered  by  General  Halleck  to 
march  across  the  country  from  Nashville  and  join  Grant 
at  Pittsburg  Landing,  and,  the  roads  being  heavy,  made 
but  slow  progress. 

Meantime  the  rebel  commander,  who  had  assembled 
at  Corinth  an  army  of  full  forty-five  thousand  men, 
under  his  ablest  generals,  with  thirty  thousand  more 
under  Van  Dorn  and  Price,  coming  from  Arkansas, 
well  disciplined,  and  provided  with  all  that  was  ne- 
cessary to  its  efficiency,  had  conceived  the  plan  of 
hurling  his  forces  upon  Grant  before  Buell  could  come 
up,  and  while  Lewis  Wallace's  division  was  at  Crump's 
Landing,  some  distance  from  the  field  of  battle,  and 
thus  conquei-ing  the  Union  army  in  detail.  The  plan 
was  well  devised,  and  came  very  near  being  successful, 
Johnston  at  first  fixed  upon  April  5th  as  the  time  for 
making  the  attack,  and  had  he  adhered  to  this  deter- 
mination he  would  very  possibly  have  succeeded  j  but, 
desirous  of  obtaining  Van  Dorn's  and  Price's  reinforce- 
ments before  moving,  he  delayed  one  day,  in  the  hope 
that  they  would  come  up,  and  that  day's  delay  lost  him 
the  battle.  The  roads  in  that  region  were  so  heavy  that 
though  Pittsburg  Landing  was  but  twenty  miles  away, 
it  took  the  rebel  army  two  days  to  reach  it.  General 
Grant's  suspicions  had  been  aroused  by  the  movements 
of  some  of  the  rebel  reconnoitering  parties  on  the  night 


GENERAL   GRANT.  39 

of  the  second  of  April,  and  he  returned  to  the  camp 
that  night  from  Savannah,  ten  miles  away,  where  his 
headquarters  were,  and  reconnoitred  in  person. 

As  no  sign  of  battle  appeared,  he  returned  to  Sa- 
vannah, leaving  orders  to  fire  a  signal-gun  if  there  were 
any  appearances  of  an  approaching  battle.  The  Union 
army  was  surrounded  by  spies ;  rebel  citizens  who,  while 
professing  to  be  non-combatants,  discovered  and  carried 
to  the  rebel  headquarters  every  position  and  movement 
of  the  Union  forces. 

The  forces  under  General  Grant's  command,  consti- 
tuting the  army  of  West  Tennessee,  were  organized  in 
five  divisions,  commanded  as  follows:  First  division, 
Major-General  John  A.  McClernand ;  second  •  division, 
Brigadier-General  W.  H.  L.  Wallace;  third  division, 
Major-General  Lewis  Wallace ;  fourth  division,  Briga- 
dier-General S.  A.  Hurlbut;  fifth  division,  Brigadier* 
General  W.  T.  Sherman.  Of  these  generals,  McCler- 
nand, W.  H.  S.  Wallace,  Hurlbut,  and  Sherman  were 
at  Pittsburg  Landing,  and  Lewis  Wallace  at  Crump's 
Landing,  six  miles  distant.  General  Buell's  forces,  the 
Army  of  the  Ohio,  were  twenty  miles  distant. 

The  troops  were  arranged  in  the  following  order : 
Prentiss's  command,  a  subdivision  of  McClernand's,  oc- 
,  cupied  the  extreme  Union  left,  resting  on  Lick  creek,  a 
distance  of  nearly  three  miles  from  the  Tennessee  river; 
next  came  McClernand ;  then  W.  H.  L.  Wallace,  forming 
the  right,  with  Sherman  partly  in  reserve  as  a  support 
on  the  right  wing,  extending  along  Snake  creek.  Gene- 
ral Hurlbut's  division  acted  as  the  supports  of  Prentiss 
on  the  left  wing,  and  were  also  partly  in  reserve.  The 
Union  force  that  day  in  the  battle  did  not  exceed  thirty- 
eight  thousand.  The  rebel  commander  had  thrown  a 
detachment  between  Pittsburg  and  Crump's  landings, 


40  CUE  GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

and  thus  obstructed  Lew.  Wallace's  division,  and  com- 
pelled them  to  make  so  extended  a  detour  that  they  were 
unable  to  take  any  part  in  the  first  day's  battle. 

The  battle  commenced  at  daybreak  of  the  6th  of 
April  (Sunday),  by  a  sudden  and  desperate  attack  on 
the  extreme  left,  Prentiss's  division,  which  was  taken 
somewhat  by  surprise,  but  fought  bravely.  The  rebel 
force  was,  however,  massed  so  heavily  upon  them,  that 
they  at  last  gave  way,  and  the  greater  part  of  them  were 
captured.  Hurrying  these  to  the  rear,  the  rebels  next 
hurled  their  forces  upon  W.  H.  L.  Wallace  and  Sher- 
man. Wallace  was  mortally  wounded,  and  his  troops 
driven  back  some  distance,  but  Sherman,  making  a 
stubborn  .resistance,  held  his  position  and  repulsed  the 
enemy,  who  however  rallied  and  returned  to  the  attack, 
flinging,  meantime,  a  large  force  of  fresh  troops  upon 
McClernand's  division,  and  that  general,  though  doing 
his  utmost  to  keep  his  troops  in  line,  was  crowded  back. 
The  rebels  next  having  tried  in  vain  to  break  Sherman's 
lines,  about  two  P.M.  slackened  their  fire  on  him,  and 
threw  their  principal  force  on  General  Hurlbut's  divi- 
sion, gradually  but  surely  pressing  them  back,  till  the 
greater  part  of  the  line  was  two  and  a  half  miles  in  rear 
of  their  first  position,  though  still  a  half-mile  from  the 
river.  Sherman  meanwhile  had  taken  a  new  line  in  a 
strong  position,  and  repulsed  all  attacks,  while  Web- 
ster, General  Grant's  chief  of  artillery,  gathering  the 
batteries  which  had  been  scattered,  and  some  of  them 
deserted,  opened  a  steady  and  destructive  fire  upon 
the  enemy,  who  were  making  desperate  efforts  to  turn 
the  Union  left,  rout  General  Hurlbut,  and  gain  posses- 
sion of  the  landing.  The  fire  of  the  artillery,  aided  by 
that  of  the  gunboats  Tyler  and  Lexington,  which, 
coming  within  range,  opened  heavily  upon  the  rebel 


GENERAL  GRANT.  41 

ranks,  caused  them  to  give  way  a  little,  and  General 
T.  J.  Wood's  division,  the  advance  of  Buell's  corps, 
coming  up  just  at  this  time,  aided  in  driving  them  back. 
At  nightfall  the  rebels  rested  on  their  arms  in  what  had 
been  the  Union  camp  ;  but  the  Union  forces,  though 
sadly  shattered,  looked  forward  with  confidence  to  the 
morrow,  when  they  felt  certain  they  would  be  able  to 
drive  back  and  defeat  the  enemy.  The  rebel  com- 
mander-in-chief,  General  Albert  S.  Johnston,  had  been 
mortally  wounded  early  in  the  action,  and  died  before 
evening,  and  General  Beauregard  was  now  in  com- 
mand. 

Where,  in  this  day  of  desperate  fighting,  was  General 
Grant  ?  That  he  was  in  the  battle  during  the  day  was 
admitted,  and  was,  indeed,  evident  from  his  own  re- 
port, though,  with  characteristic  modesty,  he  does  not 
state  when  he  reached  the  field.  But  his  enemies,  and 
among  them  some  who  should  have  had  more  manhood 
than  to  have  brought  false  accusations  against  him, 
charged  that  he  was  surprised,  and  was,  indeed,  de- 
feated, until  General  Buell's  coming  and  taking  com- 
mand reversed  the  tables,  and  from  the  misfortunes 
of  the  first  day's  battle  evoked  the  triumph  of  the 
second.  It  was  also  charged  that  he  was  unjustifiably 
absent  on  the  morning  of  the  first  day's  battle ;  that  his 
place  was  with  his  troops ;  that  he  did  not  arrive  till 
noon,  and  that  he  did  nothing  to  prevent  the  demorali- 
zation which  was  taking  place  among  his  raw  troops.  To 
these  charges,  though  knowing  their  falsity,  General 
Grant  has  never  deigned  reply,  but  within  the  past  few 
weeks  we  have  had  a  refutation  of  them  from  the  man 
'of  all  others  best  qualified  to  testify  to  the  truth  in  the 
case,  Major-General  Sherman.  He  states,  in  a  letter  to 
the  editor  of  the  "  United  States  Service  Magazine,"  that 

4* 


42  OUK  GKEAT  CAPTAINS. 

the  battle-field  was  chosen  by  the  late  lamented  Major- 
General  Charles  F.  Smith,  and  that  it  was  well  chosen ; 
that  on  any  other  the  Union  army  would  have  been  over- 
whelmed. He  further  says  that  General  Grant  was  early 
on  the  field ;  that  he  visited  his  division  in  person  about 
ten  A.  M.,  when  the  battle  was  raging  fiercest ;  approved 
of  his  stubborn  resistance  to  the  enemy,  and,  in  answer 
to  his  inquiry  concerning  cartridges,  told  him  that  he 
had  anticipated  their  want,  and  given  orders  accord- 
ingly ;  and,  remarking  that  his  presence  was  more 
needed  over  at  the  left,  rode  off  to  encourage  the 
hardly  pressed  ranks  of  McClernand's  and  Hurlbut's 
divisions. 

"  About  five  P.  M.,"  continues  General  Sherman,  "  be- 
fore the  sun  set,  General  Grant  came  again  to  me,  and, 
after  hearing  my  report  of  matters,  explained  to  me  the 
situation  of  affairs  on  the  left,  which  were  not  as  favor- 
able ;  still,  the  enemy  had  failed  to  reach  the  landing  of 
the  boats.  We  agreed  that  the  enemy  had  expended 
the  furore  of  his  attack,  and  we  estimated  our  loss  and 
approximated  our  then  strength,  including  Lew.  Wal- 
lace's fresh  division,  expected  each  minute.  He  then 
ordered  me  to  get  all  things  ready,  and  at  daylight  the 
next  clay  to  assume  the  offensive.  That  was  before 
General  Buell  had  arrived,  but  he  was  known  to  be  near 
at  hand.  General  Buell's  troops  took  no  essential  part 
in  the  first  day's  fight,  and  Grant's  army,  though  col- 
lected together  hastily,  green  as  militia,  some  regiments 
arriving  without  cartridges  even,  and  nearly  all  hearing 
the  dread  sound  of  battle  for  the  first  time,  had  success- 
fully withstood  and  repelled  the  first  day's  terrific  onset 
of  a  superior  enemy,  well  commanded  and  well  handled. 
I  know  I  had  orders  from  General  Grant  to  assume  the 
offensive  before  I  knew  General  Buell  was  on  the  west 


GENERAL   GRANT.  43 

side  of  the  Tennessee I  understood  Grant's  forces 

were  to  advance  on  the  right  of  the  Corinth  road,  and 
Buell's  on  the  left  (this  was  on  the  7th),  and  accordingly 
at  daylight  I  advanced  my  division  by  the  flank,  the  re- 
sistance being  trivial,  up  to  the  very  spot  where  the  day 
before  the  battle  had  been  most  severe,  and  then  waited 
till  near  noon  for  Buell's  troops  to  get  up  abreast,  when 
the  entire  line  advanced  and  recovered  all  the  ground 
we  had  ever  held.  I  know  that,  with  the  exception  of 
one  or  two  severe  struggles,  the  fighting  of  April  7th 
was  easy  as  compared  with  that  of  April  6th.  I  never 
was  disposed,  nor  am  I  now,  to  question  any  thing  done 
by  General  Buell  and  his  army,  and  know  that,  ap- 
proaching our  field  of  battle  from  the  rear,  he  en- 
countered  that  sickening  crowd  of  laggards  and  fugi- 
tives that  excited  his  contempt  and  that  of  his  army, 
who  never  gave  full  credit  to  those  in  the  front  line  who 
did  fight  hard,  and  who  had,  at  four  p.  M.,  checked  the 
enemy,  and  were  preparing  the  next  day  to  assume  the 
offensive." 

Thus  far  General  Sherman.  Let  us  now  resume  the 
history  of  the  battle.  General  Lew.  Wallace's  division 
had  reached  the  battle-field  on  the  evening  of  the  6th, 
too  late  to  participate  in  the  fighting  of  that  day,  but 
fresh  and  ready  for  the  severe  work  of  the  morrow. 
General  Nelson's  division  of  Buell's  army  crossed  the 
river  during  the  night,  and  were  also  ready  to  com- 
mence fighting  at  dawn ;  but  the  remainder  of  Buell's 
army,  owing  to  a  deficiency  of  transportation  and  the ' 
want  of  pontoons,  did  not  cross  till  the  morning  of  the 
7th.  General  Grant  assigned  Wallace's  division  to  the 
right  and  Nelson's  to  the  left  of  his  line,  and  the  divi- 
sions which  formed  the  centre  were  those  which  had  so 
bravely  withstood  the  onset  of  the  previous  day.  The 


44:  OUK  GKEAT  CAPTAINS. 

attack  on  the  7th  was  made  by  the  Union  troops, 
General  Nelson,  on  the  left,  opening  with  a  destructive 
and  galling  fire,  and  advancing  rapidly  as  the  rebels  fell 
back.  In  a  short  time  the  fighting  was  general  along 
the  whole  line,  and  though  the  rebels  maintained  their 
position  with  great  tenacity  at  some  points,  and  were 
urged  forward  by  their  leaders,  they  at  length  began  to 
break,  and,  when  the  remainder  of  Buell's  troops  came 
up  towards  noon,  they  gave  evidence  of  thorough  de- 
feat, and,  after  an  ineffective  struggle,  fled,  abandon- 
ing their  artillery  and  small-arms,  about  five  o'clock, 
p.  M.  The  battle  had  been  the  most  sanguinary  of  the 
war  up  to  that  time.  Of  the  Union  troops^  one  thousand 
six  hundred  and  fourteen  were  slain,  seven  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  twenty-one  were  wounded,  and 
three  thousand  nine  hundred  and  sixty-three  were 
missing,  the  greater  part  of  them  prisoners,  making  a 
total  of  thirteen  thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety- 
eight  hors  de  combat.  The  rebel  losses,  as  stated  by 
Pollard,  were,  killed,  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
twenty-eight ;  wounded,  eight  thousand  and  twelve  ; 
missing,  nine  hundred  and  fifty-nine ;  making  an  ag- 
gregate of  ten  thousand  six  hundred  and  ninety-nine. 

There  is  abundant  evidence  that  the  amount  of  miss- 
ing, which  includes  the  prisoners  not  wounded,  is  greatly 
understated,  and  from  this  statement  it  appears  that  the 
number  of  their  killed  and  wounded  was  considerably 
in  excess  of  that  of  the  Union  troops.  The  loss  of 
cannon  by  the  Union  troops  on  the  sixth  was  nearly 
or  quite  balanced  by  the  loss  of  the  rebels  on  the 
seventh.  General  Grant  was  slightly  wounded  in  the 
ankle  in  this  battle.  The  rebel  loss  of  officers  in  high 
command  had  been  very  severe.  Besides  their  com- 
mander-in-chief,  General  A.  S.  Johnston,  General  Glad- 


GENERAL  GEANT.  45 

den  of  South  Carolina,  General  G.  M.  Johnston,  pseudo 
governor  of  Kentucky,  and  Colonels  Adams,  Kitt  Wil- 
liams, and  Blythe  were  killed ;  and  Generals  Breckin- 
ridge,  Hardee,  Cheatharn,  Johnson,  and  Bowen  were 
wounded.  General  Grant's  troops  were  too  completely 
exhausted  to  make  pursuit  that  night,  and  General  Buell 
did  not  order  any  of  his  force,  which  was  less  wearied, 
to  that  duty.  On  the  morning  of  the  8th,  General  Grant 
ordered  Sherman  to  follow  the  retreating  rebel  force. 
He  did  so,  and  proceeding  along  the  Corinth  road,  came 
upon  the  rebel  cavalry,  whom  he  drove  from  the  field 
after  a  short  skirmish,  and,  pressing  forward,  entered 
and  destroyed  the  rebel  camp  and  considerable  quan- 
tities of  ammunition.  Proceeding  onward,  he  found 
abundant  evidences  of  a  hasty  and  disorderly  retreat,  in 
the  abandoned  Wagons,  ambulances,  and  limber-boxes 
which  strewed  the  road. 

OB  the  evening  of  the  8th,  General  Beauregard  sent  by 
flag  of  truce  a  note  to  General  Grant,  asking  permission 
to  send  a  mounted  party  to  the  battlefield  to  bury  the 
dead,  and  that  gentlemen  wishing  to  remove  the  re- 
mains of  their  sons  and  friends  might  accompany  the 
party.  The  next  morning  General  Grant  replied  that, 
owing  to  the  warmth  of  the  weather,  he  had  made  heavy 
details  of  forces  to  bury  the  dead  of  both  parties,  and 
that  it  had  been  accomplished.  He  therefore  declined  to 
permit  the  approach  of  any  party  of  the  enemy  to  the 
battle-field. 

General  Halleck,  the  commander  of  the  Mississippi 
department,  on  hearing  of  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing, hastened  at  once  to  the  field  to  take  command  in 
person,  and  on  the  13th  of  April  issued  a  general  order 
expressive  of  his  thanks  to  General  Grant  and  General 
Buell,  and  the  officers  and  men  under  their  charge,  for 


46  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

the  results  of  the  great  battle.  He  also  collected  at  the 
camp  at  Pittsburg  Landing  all  the  troops  which  could 
be  spared  from  the  other  posts  of  the  department,  and 
reorganized  the  army  in  sixteen  divisions,  eight  of  which 
formed  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  under  General  Grant, 
four  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  under  General  Buell,  and  four 
the  Army  of  the  Mississippi,  under  General  John  Pope. 
On  the  30th  of  April  this  grand  army  moved  forward 
to  drive  the  rebels  from  their  strongly  fortified  position 
at  Corinth.  As  they  approached  the  stronghold  several 
sharp  actions  occurred  between  them  and  the  rebels, 
which  however  resulted,  in  each  instance,  in  the  repulse 
of  the  latter.  On  the  1 7th  of  May  the  Union  army  com- 
menced a  series  of  regular  approaches  for  the  reduction 
of  the  city.  On  the  19th,  General  Grant  urged  General 
Halleck  to  allow  him  with  his  army  to  assault  the 
enemy's  works,  as  he  was  satisfied  that  the  rebel  army 
could  be  captured  by  a  vigorous  and  concerted  attack. 
General  Halleck  refused,  preferring  the  method  of  slow 
approaches.  General  Grant  still  urged  with  great  im- 
portunity, and  a  quarrel  threatened  between  the  two 
generals,  the  only  one  in  Grant's  military  career.  Hal- 
leck, however,  adhered  to  his  plan,  and,  in  spite  of  fre- 
quent sallies  on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  the  parallels 
were  drawn  closer  and  closer,  and  on  the  night  of  the 
28th  of  May,  Generals  Beauregard  and  Bragg,  with  their 
troops,  evacuated  Corinth,  blowing  up  their  caissons  and 
magazines,  and,  moving  southward  along  the  Mobile 
and  Ohio  railroad,  sought  a  safer  position.  They  were 
pursued  by  General  Pope,  but  without  any  considerable 
result,  though  their  flight  was  somewhat  accelerated.,  and 
by  the  end  of  June  there  was  no  rebel  force  within  fifty 
miles  of  Corinth.  Meantime,  New  Orleans  and  the  forts 
below  it  had  been  surrendered  to  the  Union  forces  under 


GENERAL   GKANT.  47 

Farragut  and  Butler,  and  Memphis  had  been  captured 
by  the  Mississippi  flotilla  under  Commodore  Davis.  On 
the  17th  of  July,  General  Halleck  was  summoned  to 
Washington  to  take  the  position  of  general-in-chief 
of  the  armies  of  the  United  States,  and  the  new  de- 
partment of  West  Tennessee  created,  embracing  North- 
ern Mississippi,  West  Tennessee,  Western  Kentucky, 
and  Southei'n  Illinois,  and  General  Grant  placed  in  com- 
mand of  it.  General  Curtis  had  succeeded  General 
Pope  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Mississippi,  now 
named  the  department  of  Arkansas,  and  General  Buell 
still  commanded  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  which  had  for 
its  department  the  region  inclosed  by  the  Tennessee 
river.  General  Grant  made  his  headquarters  for  a  time 
at  Memphis,  which,  with  its  swarms  of  crafty  secession- 
ists, speculators,  gamblers,  and  Jewish  traders,  desperate 
for  gain,  bid  fair  to  be  of  more  value  to  the  rebels,  when 
in  possession  of  the  Unionists,  than  when  held  by  the 
rebels  themselves,  inasmuch  as  every  thing  in  the  way  of 
supplies,  which  the  enemy  needed,  was  smuggled  through 
the  lines  to  them  on  one  pretence  or  another.  This  il- 
licit traffic  General  Grant  broke  up  with  a  strong  hand, 
and  crushed  the  disloyal  operators  so  effectually  that  the 
unscrupulous  traitors  and  spies  were  almost  beside  them- 
selves with  rage. 

Meantime,  General  Bragg  was  moving  with  all  speed 
through  Tennessee  to  Kentucky,  and  General  Buell  folp 
lowing,  but  not  overtaking  him  ;  and  when  he  doubled 
upon  his  track  and  again  faced  southward,  Buell  still 
pursued,  and,  after  fighting  an  indecisive  battle  at 
Perryville,  suffered  him  to  make  good  his  escape,  with 
his  plunder,  into  Tennessee  again.  This  expedition  of 
General  Bragg  was  only  one  portion  of  a  combined 
movement  of  the  rebels,  having  for  its  object  the  ex-' 


4:8  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

pulsion  of  the  Union  armies  from  Northern  Mississippi, 
West  Tennessee,  and  West  Kentucky,  and  the  regain- 
ing of  the  territory  they  had  lost  within  the  previous 
seven  or  eight  months.  That  portion  of  the  programme 
having  for  its  object  the  expulsion  of  Grant  from  his 
department  was  intrusted  to  Generals  Van  Dora,  Price, 
and  Lovell.  The  first  movement  made  by  the  rebels  to 
this  end  was  the  capture  of  luka,  a  Union  post  about 
twenty  miles  from  Corinth,  and  the  subsequent  battle  of 
luka,  in  which  Price  attacked  General  Rosecrans,  then 
one  of  Grant's  lieutenants.  The  battle  was  a  very  severe 
one,  but  Price  was  severely  beaten  and  compelled  to 
evacuate  the  town.  He  retreated  eastward  instead  of 
northward,  as  Grant  had  expected,  and  managed  to  join 
Van  Dora  and  Lovell  in  Tippah  county,  Mississippi, 
when  the  three,  with  a  formidable  force,  determined  to 
repossess  themselves  of  Corinth,  and  thus  compel  Grant 
to  loosen  his  hold  on  West  Tennessee.  General  Grant 
comprehended  their  plans,  and  was  ready  to  thwart 
them.  It  was  at  first  somewhat  uncertain  whether  they 
would  attempt  to  seize  Corinth,  where  Rosecrans  was 
now  stationed,  or  Bolivar,  which  was  held  by  General 
Ord,  another  of  Grant's  lieutenants,  with  a  considerable 
force,  or  Jackson,  where  General  Grant  had  his  own  head- 
quarters ;  their  position  near  Pocahontas,  on  the  Mem- 
phis and  Charleston  railroad,  threatening  all  these  about 
equally.  This  will  be  evident  from  a  glance  at  the  map, 
Jackson  being  the  apex  of  an  equilateral  triangle  formed 
by  the  junction  of  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
and  Jackson  railroads  at  Jackson,  and  their  several  cross- 
ings of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  railroad  at  Lagrange 
and  Corinth.  Corinth  formed  another  angle  of  the  tri- 
angle, and  Pocahontas  was  nearly  midway  between  that 
and  Lagrange,  and  Bolivar  about  half-way  between  La- 


GENERAL   GRANT.  49 

grange  and  Jackson.  But  Grant  had  so  arranged  his 
forces  and  timed  his  movements,  that  whichever  point 
might  be  attacked,  a  supporting  force  should  be  ready  to 
strike  the  enemy  in  the  rear,  or  to  cut  off  his  escape. 
General  Hurlbut  had  been  stationed  between  Pocahontas 
and  Lagrange,  and  when  it  became  evident  that  Corinth 
was  the  point  aimed  at  by  the  enemy,  he  put  himself  in 
position  to  intercept  his  retreat  along  the  Hatchie  river, 
and  General  Ord  was  directed  to  move  to  his  support. 
We  need  not  describe  in  detail  the  battle  of  Corinth ; 
suffice  it  to  say  that  General  Rosecrans  defeated  the 
combined  rebel  force  after  a  severe  battle  on  the  3d  and 
4th  of  October,  and  that  the  flying  rebels  were  pursued 
and  terribly  punished  by  Hurlbut  and  Ord,  and  by 
General  McPherson,  whom  he  had  detached  from  his 
immediate  command  for  the  purpose.  A  more  thorough 
defeat  and  rout  had  not,  up  to  that  time,  occurred  during 
the  war,  nor  a  more  decided  and  zealous  pursuit.  On 
the  25th  of  October,  another  change  was  made  in  the 
boundaries  of  the  department  of  Tennessee.  General 
Rosecrans  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  old  de- 
partment of  the  Ohio — now  somewhat  changed  in 
boundary,  and  renamed  the  department  of  the  Cumber- 
land— in  place  of  General  Buell,  relieved ;  and  the  de- 
partment of  Tennessee  was  extended  down  the  Missis- 
sippi to  Vicksburg.  This  new  department  General 
Grant  divided  into  four  districts,  and  assigned  com- 
manders to  each,  viz. :  1st.  The  district  of  Memphis, 
General  W.  T.  Sherman,  commander  ;  2d.  The  district 
of  Jackson,  General  S.  A.  Hurlbut,  commander;  3d.  The 
district  of  Corinth,  Brigadier-General  C.  S.  Hamilton, 
commander ;  4th.  The  district  of  Columbus,  Brigadier- 
General  T.  A.  Davies,  commander. 

There  was  still  much  trouble  in  regard  to  trade  at 
5 


50  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

Memphis,  and  other  points  in  his  department.  While 
some  of  those  engaged  in  trade  were  men  of  high  and 
honorable  character,  too  many  were  unscrupulous  specu- 
lators, who  were  ready,  for  the  sake  of  gain,  to  smuggle 
through  the  lines  weapons,  ammunition,  food,  medicines, 
and  other  articles  contraband  of  war,  to  the  rebels. 
General  Grant  tried  the  most  stringent  rules  and  the 
most  critical  examination,  but  the  evil  still  continued, 
and  he  was  compelled  to  expel  the  Jews,  who  had  been 
the  principal  offenders,  from  the  department.  Amid  the 
almost  universal  corruption  which  prevailed  at  this 
period — very  many  officers  in  the  army  secretly  engaging 
in  cotton  speculations,  and  neglecting  their  duty  to  ac- 
quire wealth  in  this  way — General  Grant's  reputation  for 
strict  integrity,  and  avoidance  of  even  the  appearance 
of  evil,  was  never  questioned.  He  was  remarkably  sen- 
sitive to  any  thing  which  might  seem  to  implicate  his  in- 
tegrity in  these  matters.  A  friend,  himself  a  man  of  un- 
impeachable honor,  proposed  to  him,  at  this  time,  that 
he  should  designate  Union  men  of  high  character  to 
conduct  the  necessary  trade.  "No!",  was  his  prompt 
reply,  "  I  will  do  no  such  thing ;  for,  if  I  did,  it  would 
be  stated  within  a  week,  on  the  highest  authority,  that  I 
was  a  partner  with  every  man  I  appointed  ;  and  if  any 
of  them  were  guilty  of  misconduct,  the  blame  and  guilt 
would.fall  on  my  shoulders." 

Vicksburg  was  now  the  goal  of  Grant's  hopes ;  to 
capture  that  stronghold,  the  great  object  of  his  ambition. 
It  was,  indeed,  a  prize  worth  contending  for.  •  It  was  the 
key  to  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi ;  strong  by 
nature,  in  its  terraced  bluffs  rising  high  over  the  Mis- 
sissippi, it  had  been  made  tenfold  stronger  by  the  en- 
gineer's art,  and  was  believed  by  the  rebels  to  be 
utterly  impregnable.  From  the  very  commencement 


GENERAL   GKANT.  51 

of  the  war  no  pains  had  been  spared  in  fortifying  it,  and 
when  the  loss  of  the  forts  below  New  Orleans  and  of 
Island  No.  Ten,  and  Memphis,  had  convinced  the  rebels 
that  this  fortress  must  be  their  main  dependence  in 
closing  the  river  navigation,  they  redoubled  their  efforts 
to  make  it  a  perfect  Gibraltar.  Not  simply  the  city  it- 
self was  surrounded  with  earthworks — fort,  bastion, 
redan,  and  rifle-pits — but  Haines',  Chickasaw,  and  Wal- 
nut bluffs,  to  the  northwest,  north,  and  northeast  of  the 
city,  and  Warreuton,  commanding  the  lower  approaches 
to  it,  were  also  strongly  fortified,  and  iron-clad  vessels 
of  formidable  character  were  built  on  the  Yazoo  river 
above,  out  of  harm's  way,  to  descend  at  the  proper  time 
and  carry  destruction  among  the  gunboats  of  the  Union 
squadron.  It  had  been  assailed  before  its  defences  were 
quite  perfected,  in  the  summer  of  1862,  by  Admiral 
Farragut's  squadron,  but  a  long  bombardment  had 
proved  ineffectual,  so  lofty  were  its  bluffs,  and  so  for- 
midable at  that  time  its  batteries.  An  attempt  during 
the  same  summer,  by  General  Williams  (who  was  killed 
in  August  of  that  year  at  Baton  Rouge),  to  turn  the  cur- 
rent of  the  Mississippi  through  a  canal  across  the  penin- 
sula formed  by  the  bend  of  the  Mississippi  in  front  of 
Vicksburg,  had  proved  a  failure.  General  Grant  was 
well  aware  how  formidable  was  the  enterprise  he  was 
about  to  undertake,  and  he  made  all  possible  prepara- 
tion for  it.  The  troops  of  the  levy  of  July  and  August, 
1862,  were  rapidly  joining  the  army  and  rendering  its 
numbers  large,  far  beyond  any  former  precedent.  The 
supplies  of  food,  ammunition,  arms,  clothing,  &c.,  were 
also  collected  in  vast  quantities  at  suitable  depots,  for 
distribution  to  the  forces  of  each  disti'ict.  Early  in  De- 
cember, General  Grant  began  to  move  his  troops  down 
the  Mississippi  Central  railroad,  for  the  purpose  of  a 


52  OUR    GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

flank  movement  upon  Vicksburg,  to  be  executed  in  con- 
cert with  an  attack  upon  the  north  and  northwest  front 
of  the  city,  by  a  force  under  General  Sherman  descend- 
ing the  river  from  Memphis.  About  the  15th  of  De- 
cember, General  Grant's  headquarters  were  at  Oxford, 
Mississippi,  while  his  principal  depot  of  supplies  was  at 
Holly  Springs,  thirty  miles  above,  guarded  by  a  suffi- 
cient garrison  under  a  Colonel  Murphy.  A  small  rebel 
force,  by  a  detour  to  the  east,  managed  to  make  a  dash 
upon  Holly  Springs  on  the  20th  of  December,  but  might 
easily  have  been  driven  off  by  the  garrison,  whose  com- 
mander had  been  apprized  of  the  attack  by  General 
Grant  as  soon  as  possible,  and  ordered  to  hold  his 
ground  and  reinforcements  should  be  sent  to  him. 
Colonel  Murphy,  however,  was  either  a  coward  or 
traitor,  and  made  but  slight  resistance,  suffering  the 
vast  accumulation  of  supplies  to  fall  into  the  hands  of 
the  rebels,  who  plundered  and  destroyed  them,  and 
then  made  all  haste  to  escape.  This  mishap  deranged 
General  Grant's  plans,  compelling  him  to  fall  back  to 
Holly  Springs  and  order  forward  other  supplies,  and 
thus  preventing  him  from  making  a  simultaneous  attack 
with  General  Sherman  upon  Vicksburg.  Nor  was  he 
able  to  apprize  General  Sherman  of  the  cause  of  his 
failure.  Sherman  went  forward,  made  the  attack  upon 
Vicksburg,  but,  after  a  three  days'  struggle,  was  com- 
pelled to  withdraw  his  troops,  defeated  but  not  dispirited 
at  their  want  of  success.  Having  renewed  his  stock  of 
supplies,  and  the  time  for  success  irf  a  movement  south- 
ward, by  way  of  the  Mississippi  Central  railroad,  having 
passed,  General  Grant  next  descended  the  Mississippi 
to  Young's  Point,  Louisiana,  a  short  distance  above 
Vicksburg,  where  he  devoted  his  whole  attention  to 
solving  the  problem  of  capturing  the  stronghold  which 


GENERAL    GRANT.  53 

frowned  so  loftily  upon  the  Mississippi.  The  problem 
proved  a  knotty  one.  An  assault  on  the  water-front  was 
impossible,  and  the  heavy  and  repeated  bombardments 
of  the  squadron,  though  seemingly  sufficient  to  reduce 
any  known  fortress,  made  little  impression  upon  this. 
The  approaches  by  way  of  Chickasaw  bluffs,  strong 
enough  in  December  to  repulse  Sherman's  army,  had 
been  fortified  since  that  time,  until  they  left  no  hope 
of  success  in  that  direction.  No  siege  was  possible, 
because,  the  rear  being  open,  supplies  and  men  could 
be  thrown  in  till  the  besieged  could  become  the  of- 
fensive party.  There  remained  three  alternatives,  all 
attended  with  difficulty,  and  none  giving  very  certain 
promise  of  success.  These  were  the  renewal  of  the 
canal  project  under  more  favorable  auspices,  with  a  view 
to  rendering  the  position  of  Vicksburg  worthless  in  a 
military  point  of  view,  and  opening  a  new  route  for  the 
navigation  of  the  Mississippi  through  the  canal ;  the  ap- 
proach to  the  city  from  the  north  and  northeast  by  way 
of  the  Yazoo  river,  which  at  several  points  above  com- 
municated more  or  less  directly  with  the  Mississippi,  and 
the  passing  of  a  land  and  naval  force  below  Vicksburg, 
and  attacking  the  fortress  from  the  south. 

That  dogged  pertinacity  which,  when  a  school-boy,  led 
Grant  never  to  give  up  till  he  had  mastered  a  difficult 
problem,  an  heir-loom,  perhaps,  of  his  Scotch  ancestry, 
now  caused  him  to  adhere  to  his  purpose,  hopeless  as  it 
seemed  to  the  rebels,  and  indeed  to  our  own  Govern- 
ment, which  at  fh'st  seemed  hardly  willing  to  brook  the 
delay.  The  canal  was  first  tried,  but  owing  to  a  sudden 
flood  in  the  Mississippi,  which  broke  the  dam  and  over- 
flowed the  adjacent  country,  it  was  abandoned.  Attempts 
were  next  made  to  enter  the  Yazoo  by  the  old  Yazoo  pass, 
and  subsequently  by  a  more  circuitous  route,  through 

5* 


54:  OUR  GBEAT  CAPTAINS. 

Steel's  bayou,  Black  bayou,  Duck  creek,  Deer  creek, 
Rolling  fork,  and  Sunflower  river ;  but  neither  of  these, 
though  accomplishing  much  as  raids  into  the  enemy's 
country,  proved  successful  in  opening  the  way  for  an  at- 
tack upon  the  city  of  Vicksburg.  There  remained,  then, 
the  last  alternative  of  bringing  his  troops,  with  their 
supplies,  to  some  point  below  Vicksburg,  and  thence  at- 
tacking the  fortress  from  below.  How  to  do  this  was  a 
serious  question.  From  Vicksburg  to  Port  Hudson,  a 
distance  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-two  miles,  every 
commanding  bluff  was  fortified,  and  the  batteries  and 
earthworks  at  Port  Hudson,  Natchez,  Grand  Gulf,  etc., 
were  very  formidable.  Admiral  Farragut  had,  indeed, 
run  past  the  Port  Hudson  batteries,  but  had  lost  a  ship- 
of-war  in  doing  so ;  and  there  was  no  possibility  of  bring- 
ing troops  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  Vicksburg  from 
New  Orleans.  To  run  the  batteries  in  front  of  Vicks- 
burg, with  transports  loaded  with  troops,  was  impossible ; 
and  to  lead  them  through  the  swamps  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Mississippi,  with  their  trains,  at  this  time  of  the  year 
(February  and  March),  equally  so.  By  opening  an  old 
channel  of  the  Mississippi,  into  Lake  Providence,  and 
thence  passing  down  the  Tensas,  and  through  a  bayou 
discharging  into  the  Mississippi  some  distance  below 
Grand  Gulf,  it  might  be  possible  to  send  down  some 
troops  and  supplies ;  but  the  work  would  necessarily  be 
slow,  as  the  route  was  tortuous,  and  only  practicable  for 
small  vessels  of  light  draft.  Little  as  it  promised,  this 
route  was  tried,  and  a  moderate  amount  of  supplies  for- 
warded. But  it  was  necessary  that  a  part  of  the  gun- 
boat squadron  should  be  below  Vicksburg,  as  well  as 
transports  to  bring  the  troops  and  stores  across  the  river, 
and  to  engage  the  batteries  at  Grand  Gulf.  Accordingly, 
after  conference  with  Admirals  Farragut  and  Porter,  it 


GENERAL   GRANT.  55 

was  determined  to  send  a  part  of  the  gunboats,  and  six- 
teen or  eighteen  transports,  laden  with  forage  and  sup- 
plies, past  the  batteries,  in  two  divisions,  on  different 
nights.  This  was  accomplished  with  only  the  loss  of  two 
transports,  though  under  a  most  terrific  fire  continued 
for  hours,  and  was  one  of  the  most  heroic  acts  of  the  war. 

Meantime  the  roads  having  improved,  and  the  worst 
portions  of  them  being  corduroyed,  General  Grant  com- 
menced marching  his  troops  by  land,  through  the  coun- 
try west  of  the  Mississippi,  the  Thirteenth  Army  Corps, 
General  McClernand's,  taking  the  lead,  and  the  Seven- 
teenth, General  McPherson's,  following ;  while  the  Fif- 
teenth, General  Shemran's,  and  a  part  of  the  Sixteenth, 
were  left  to  take  care  of  the  communications  and  supplies, 
and  to  deceive  the  rebels  as  to  the  intentions  of  the  com- 
manding general.  This  march,  which  it  was  expected 
would  terminate  at  New  Carthage,  thirty-five  miles  be- 
low Milliken's  bend,  the  point  of  departure,  was,  from 
the  condition  of  the  roads,  the  breaking  of  the  levee,  etc., 
extended  to  Hard  Times,  Louisiana,  a  distance  of  seventy 
miles,  and  over  roads  which  almost  any  other  general 
would  have  pronounced  impassable.  The  movement  com- 
menced March  29th,  and  occupied  thirty  days. 

At  first  the  attempt  was  made  to  land  the  troops  near 
Grand  Gulf,  and  the  squadon  engaged  the  batteries  there 
with  the  intention  of  carrying  the  position,  and  thus  af- 
fording a  base  of  operations.  But  the  resistance  was  too 
stubborn  to  be  overcome  by  the  gunboats,  and,  after  a 
fight  of  five  hours  and  a  half,  the  admiral  (Porter)  or- 
dered their  withdrawal.  During  the  night  following 
the  squadron  and  transports  ran  past  the  batteries,  and 
the  next  morning  commenced  ferrying  over  the  troops 
and  landing  them  at  Bruinsburg,  ten  miles  below.  March- 
ing rapidly  from  this  point  northeastward  towards  Port 


56  OTJE   GREAT  CAPTAINS. 

» 

Gibson,  the  thirteenth  and  seventeenth  corps  encountered 
a  considerable  force  of  the  enemy,  whom  they  defeated 
after  a  sharp  battle,  and  moved  on  .to  and  across  Bayou 
Pierre.  The  next  day  it  was  ascertained  that  Grand 
Gulf,  which  had  been  flanked  by  this  movement,  had 
been  evacuated,  and  General  Grant  repaired  thither 
with  a  small  escort,  and  made  arrangements  to  make 
it  his  base  of  supplies  for  a  time.  These  arrangements 
occupied  nearly  a  week.  By  his  orders,  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible simultaneously  with  the  landing  of  the  two  corps 
at  Bruinsburg,  General  Sherman  had  made  a  strong  de- 
monstration towards  Haines'  Bluff  and  the  Yazoo,  and 
had  thus  attracted  the  attention  of  the  rebels  towards 
that  quarter,  where  they  believed  the  entire  Union 
army  were  concentrated,  and  prevented  them  from  op- 
posing their  landing  below. 

This  being  accomplished,  Sherman's  troops  made  all 
speed  in  marching  to  the  rendezvous  on  the  river,  where 
the  transports  were  in  waiting  to  take  them  over  to 
Grand  Gulf. 

Before  leaving  Young's  Point,  General  Grant  had  also 
ordered  an  expedition  by  a  competent  cavalry  force, 
under  the  command  of  Colonel,  now  General  Benj.  H. 
Grierson,  to  start  from  Lagrange,  at  the  junction  of  the 
Mississippi  Central  and  Memphis  and  Charleston  rail- 
roads, to  follow  the  lines  of  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  Central  railroads,  and  destroy  as  much  of 
these,  and  the  Meridian  and  Jackson  railroad,  as  pos- 
sible,— capturing  and  destroying  also  all  stores,  ammuni- 
tion, locomotives,  and  railroad  cars  possible,  in  their 
route.  This  expedition  was  thoroughly  successful,  and 
reached  Baton  Rouge  on  the  1st  of  May,  at  the  time 
Grant  was  fighting  the  battle  of  Port  Gibson.  Other 
raids  were  ordered  about,  the  same  time  from  Middle 


GENERAL   GRANT.  57 

Tennessee,  which  aided  in  breaking  up  the  railroad  com- 
munications and  frustrating  the  plans  of  the  rebels. 

Our  space  does  not  allow  us  to  go  into  details  of  the 
subsequent  masterly  movements  by  which,  while  appa- 
rently threatening  an  immediate  attack  on  Vicksburg 
from  the  south,  the  garrison  there,  under  the  command 
of  General  Pemberton,  were  prevented  from  forming  a 
junction  with  General  J.  E.  Johnston's  troops,  then  in 
the  vicinity  of  Jackson,  nor  of  the  battle  of  Raymond, 
the  capture  of  Jackson,  and  the  destruction  of  the  prop- 
erty and  manufactories  of  the  rebel  Government  there ; 
the  rapid  march  westward,  the  severe  battles  of  Cham- 
pion's hill  and  of  Black  River  bridge,  and  the  eminently 
skilful  management  of  the  corps  of  Generals  Sher- 
man and  McPherson.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  General 
Grant  interposed  his  army  between  the  forces  of  John- 
ston and  Pemberton,  drove  the  former  broken  and 
routed  northward,  and  compelled  the  latter  to  put  him- 
self and  his  defeated  army  as  soon  as  possible  within  the 
defences  of  Vicksburg;  and  on  the  18th  the  Union  army 
sat  down  before  Vicksburg,  having  completely  invested 
it  on  the  land  side  and  opened  communication  with  their 
squadron  and  transports  by  way  of  Walnut  bluffs,  above 
the  river.  On  the  19th  of  May,  and  again  on  the  22d, 
General  Grant  ordered  assaults  upon  the  beleaguered  city, 
neither  of  which  were  successful,  except  in  gaining  some 
ground  and  expediting  the  subsequent  regular  ap- 
proaches. The  army  now  became  satisfied  that  the 
stronghold  could  only  be  captured  by  a  systematic 
siege,  and  General  Grant  accordingly  took  all  precau- 
tions to  make  that  siege  effective,  and  to  prevent  the 
rebel  General  Johnston  from  approaching  with  sufficient 
force  to  raise  the  sioge.  Day  by  day  the  parallels  were 
brought  nearer  and  nearer,  and  finally  came  so  near  that 


58  OUE   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

the  rebels  could  not  use  their  cannon,  while  the  Union 
artillery  from  the  adjacent  hills,  and  from  the  squadron, 
constantly  showered  their  iron  hail  upon  the  devoted 
city.  The  inhabitants  and  the  rebel  army  dug  caves  in 
the  bluffs,  and  endeavored  to  shelter  themselves  from 
the  fiery  storm,  but  these  were  often  penetrated  by  the 
shells  from  the  batteries,  or  blown  up  in  the  explosion  of 
the  forts.  At  length,  on  the  third  of  July,  General 
Grant  was  prepared  to  order  an  assault,  which  could 
not  have  failed  of  success,  when  overtures  were  made 
for  a  surrender,  and  the  city  was  delivered  into  the 
hands  of  the  Union  army  on  the  4th  of  July,  1863. 

It  is  stated  that  at  the  interview  between  General 
Grant  and  General  Pemberton,  after  shaking  hands, 
and  a  short  silence,  General  Pemberton  said : 

"  General  Grant,  I  meet  you  in  order  to  arrange  terms 
for  the  capitulation  of  the  city  of  Vicksburg  and  its  gar- 
rison. What  terms  do  you  demand  ?" 

"  Unconditional  surrender,"  replied  General  Grant. 

"  Unconditional  surrender !"  said  Pemberton.  "  Never, 
so  long  as  I  have  a  man  left  me  !  I  will  fight  rather." 

"  Then,  sir,  you  can  continue  the  defence"  replied 
Grant.  "  My  army  has  never  been  in  a  better  condition 
for  the  prosecution  of  the  siege." 

During  this  conversation,  General  Pemberton  was 
greatly  agitated,  trembling  with  emotion  from  head  to 
foot,  while  Grant  was  as  calm  and  imperturbable  as  a 
May  morning.  After  a  somewhat  protracted  interview, 
during  which  General  Grant,  in  consideration  of  the  cour- 
age and  tenacity  of  the  garrison,  explained  the  terms 
he  was  disposed  to  allow  to  them  on  their  uncondi- 
tional surrender,  the  two  generals  separated,  an  armis- 
tice having  been  declared  till  morning,  when  the  ques- 
tion of  surrender  was  to  be  finally  determined.  The 


GENERAL   GKANT.  59 

same  evening  General  Grant  transmitted  to  General 
Pemberton,  in  writing,  the  propositions  he  had  made 
during  the  afternoon  for  the  disposal  of  the  garrison, 
should  they  surrender.  These  terms  were  very  liberal, 
far  more  so  than  those  usually  acceded  to  a  conquered 
garrison. 

The  rebel  loss  -in  this  campaign  had  been  very  great, 
larger  than  has  often  been  experienced  in  the  campaigns 
of  modern  times,  and  utterly  without  precedent  in  the 
previous  history  of  this  continent.  The  number  of  pris- 
oners captured  by  the  Union  troops,  from  the  landing 
at  Bruinsburg  to,  and  including  the  surrender  of  Vicks- 
burg,  was  34,620,  including  one  lieutenant-general  and 
nineteen  major  and  brigadier-generals;  and  11,800  men 
were  killed,  wounded,  or  deserters.  There  were  also 
among  the  spoils  of  the  campaign  two  hundred  and 
eleven  field-pieces,  ninety  siege-guns,  and  45,000  small- 
arms.  The  Union  losses  had  been  943  killed,  7,095 
wounded,  and  537  missing,  making  a  total  of  casualties 
of  8,575,  and  of  the  wounded  nearly  one-half  returned 
to  duty  within  a  month. 

Having  disposed  of  his  prisoners  at  Vicksburg,  General 
Grant  dispatched  General  Sherman  with  an  adequate 
force  to  Jackson  to  defeat  and  break  up  Johnston's  army, 
and  destroy  the  rebel  stores  collected  there,  in  both 
which  enterprises  he  was  successful. 

During  the  long  period  of  two  and  a  quarter  years 
since  he  had  entered  the  army,  General  Grant  had  never 
sought  or  received  a  day's  furlough.  But  after  this  great 
victory,  and  while  the  thanks  of  the  President,  the 
Cabinet,  Congress,  and  the  people,  were  lavished  upon 
him  without  stint,  he  sought  for  a  few  days'  rest  with 
his  family,  and  received  it.  His  stay  with  them  was 
brief,  and  he  returned  to  his  duties,  descending  the 


CO  OUK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

Mississippi — now,  thanks  to  his  skilful  generalship,  open 
to  the  navigation  of  all  nations  from  its  mouth  to  the 
falls  of  St.  Anthony— to  New  Orleans,  to  confer  with 
General  Banks  relative  to  the  operations  of  the  au- 
tumn. While  here,  on  the  4th  of  September,  he  was 
seriously  injured  by  being  thrown  from  his  horse  while 
reviewing  the  troops  of  General  Banks'  department. 

It  had  been  the  intention  of  the  Government  to  place 
him  in  command  of  all  the  troops  west  of  the  Alleghanies 
and  east  of  the  Mississippi,  on  the  resumption  of  active 
warfare  early  in  September,  but  this  accident  unfortu- 
nately postponed  that  appointment.  These  troops  were 
at  this  time  comprised  in  three  distinct  armies — the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland,  under  the  command  of  General  Rose- 
crans,  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  under  General  Sher- 
man, and  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  under  General  Burn- 
side.  The  interest  of  the  whole  country*  was  now  con- 
centi'ating  on  the  movements  of  the  first  of  these,  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland.  General  Rosecrans,  an  able 
officer,  had  fought  a  great  battle^  at  Stone  river,  near 
Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  with 
the  rebel  General  Bragg,  and  had  compelled  that  general 
to  retreat  to  Tullahoma ;  but  both  armies  had  maintained 
a  position  of  observation  from  that  period  until  the  last 
of  June,  when  Rosecrans  made  a  movement  forward,  and, 
threatening  to  flank  Bragg,  caused  him  to  evacuate  Tul- 
lahoma and  retreat  upon  Chattanooga,  a  strong  position, 
and  one  which  it  was  very  important  to  the  United 
States  Government  to  have  in  its  possession,  as  it  was 
the  key  to  East  Tennessee,  which,  though  loyal,  had  long 
been  in  the  possession  of  the  rebels.  General  Rosecrans 
pursued  slowly  but  steadily,  and  by  an  admirable  flank 
movement  compelled  Bragg  to  march  out  of  Chattanooga 
to  give  him  battle,  and  occupied  that  important  post 


GENERAL  GRANT.  61 

meanwhile  with  a  small  garrison.     At  this  critical  junc- 
ture,  Bragg  was  largely  reinforced  from  the  Army  of 
Virginia,  and  the  battle  of  Chiokamauga  was  fought  on 
the  19th  and  20th  of  September,  and  the  result  was  in- 
decisive, since  the  Union  army,  though  driven  back  and  . 
losing  heavily,  still  occupied  Chattanooga,  the  goal  for 
which  they  fought,  and  had  inflicted  a  loss  equal  to  or 
greater  than  their  own  upon  the  enemy.     The  condition 
of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  was,   nevertheless,  pre- 
carious for  the  next  two  months,  and  that  of  the  Arrny 
of  the  Ohio,  which   occupied  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  hardly 
less  so.     The  rebels  held  possession  of  Lookout  Mountain 
and  Mission  Ridge,  and  thus  were  able  to  lay  an  embargo 
upon  both  railroad  and  river  communication  with  Nash- 
ville and  Louisville,  the  real  bases  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  and  had  moreover  captured  a  large  train 
of  supplies.    ^Rations  and  forage  could  only  be  brought 
for  the  supply  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  by  sixty 
miles'  cartage  over  the  worst  roads  in  the  Republic,  and 
the  force,  augmented  in  October  and  November  by  two 
army  corps  from  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  by  a 
part  of  Sherman's  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  was  for  some 
months  on  half  rations.     It  was  at  this  time  that  General 
Rosecrans  was  relieved  of  the  command  of  the  Army  of 
the   Cumberland,    and   General  Thomas  made  his  suc- 
cessor, while  General  Grant  was  put  in  command  of  the 
grand  military  division  of  the  Mississippi,  comprising  the 
three  armies  already  named.     He  had  not  long  assumed 
command  when  affairs  put  on  a  brighter  aspect.     By  an 
adroit  movement,  the  sixty  miles  of  wagon  road  was  re- 
duced to  ten,  over  a  good  road,  and  presently,  by  an- 
other equally  adroit  manoeuvre,  the  navigation  of  the 
Tennessee  below  Chattanooga  was  secured,  and  arrange- 
ments made  for  the  speedy  repair  of  the  Nashville  and 

6 


62  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

Chattanooga  railroad.  Still,  so  sanguine  was  Bragg  that 
he  should  soon  obtain  possession  of  Chattanooga,  that  on 
the  21st  of  November  he  sent  this  message  by  flag  of 
truce  to  General  Grant :  "  Humanity  would  dictate  the 
removal  of  all  non-combatants  from  Chattanooga,  as  I 
am  about  to  shell  the  city  !" 

The  reply  to  this  threat  came  promptly,  but  it  was 
not  fully  delivered  until  the  evening  of  the  25th  of 
that  month. 

General  Grant  had  been  devising  means  and  ways 
for  the  expulsion  of  the  rebel  forces  from  the  valley 
of  Chattanooga  and  its  vicinity,  and  his  plans  were  just 
ripe  for  execution  when  this  summons  came  from  Bragg. 
That  general  had  been  betrayed  into  the  indiscretion  of 
sending  Longstreet  with  about  twenty  thousand  troops 
to  besiege  Knoxville,  and  had  thus  fatally  weakened  his 
force.  Giving  instructions  to  General  Burnside  to  lure 
him  on,  and  while  delaying  his  progress  by  occasional, 
and,  apparently,  strenuous  resistance  to  fall  back  after 
each  battle,  till  Longstreet  was  securely  entrapped,  he 
made  rapid  dispositions  to  punish  Bragg  most  severely 
for  his  audacity.  Pontoons  were  secretly  transported  to 
the  Tennessee,  near  the  mouth  of  North  Chickamauga 
creek,  and  a  sufficient  body  of  troops  crossed  in  boats 
to  drive  off  any  rebel  troops  in  the  immediate  vicinity ; 
and  then,  at  a  preconcerted  signal,  the  pontoons  were 
laid,  a  cavalry  force  crossed,  and  sent  to  cut  t'he  railroads 
leading  to  Knoxville  effectually,  and,  a  large  body  of 
troops  following  them,  took  possession  of  an  isolated  hill 
between  the  Atlanta  railroad  and  the  river.  This  move- 
ment was  made  under  General  Sherman's  direction. 
General  Hooker,  meantime,  was  dispatched  with  a  suffi- 
cient and  resolute  force  to  take  possession  of  Lookout 
Mountain  and  drive  the  rebels  from  it.  He  marches 


GENERAL   GKANT.  63 

down  Lookout  Valley,  and  seems  to  be  intending  to 
reach  and  ascend  a  pass  ten  miles  below,  but,  when 
out  of  sight  of  the  rebel  camps  on  the  brow  of 
the  mountain,  suddenly  turns,  ascends,  and  attacks 
them  in  the  rear,  and  after  a  series  of  gallant  engage- 
ments succeeds  in  driving  them,  with  heavy  loss, 
from  the  mountain,  which,  the  next  morning,  was 
crowned  with  the  Union  flag. 

On  the  previous  day,  simultaneously  with  Sherman's 
movements,  General  Thomas  had  moved  out  of  Chatta- 
nooga with  a  heavy  force,  and,  after  a  sharp  action  and 
a  brilliant  charge,  obtained  possession  of  Orchard  Knob 
and  another  eminence  in  front  of  Chattanooga,  on  which 
the  rebels  had  a  strong  redoubt,  and  which  commanded 
a  part  of  Mission  Ridge  and  the  principal  forts  of  the 
rebels  on  that  ridge. 

On  the  25th  of  November,  General  Grant  directed 
General  Sherman  to  make  persistent  and  repeated  de- 
monstrations against  Fort  Buckner,  situated  on  Tunnel 
Hill,  the  northern  extremity  of  the  continuous  Mission 
Ridge,  not  in  the  expectation  that  he  would  be  able  to 
carry  the  foi't  by  his  assaults,  but  to  draw  the  attention 
of  the  rebels  in  that  direction,  while  he  was  preparing 
to  attack  them  from  Fort  Wood.  Sherman's  first  as- 
sault was  made  about  10  A.  M.  ;  it  was  repulsed,  as  were 
other  successive  assaults  delivered  on  one  and  the  other 
slope  of  the  ridge  on  which  Fort  Buckner  stood  defiant, 
and,  as  the  rebels  believed,  impregnable.  The  assaulting 
columns  were  reinforced  again  and  again,  and,  though 
not  successful  in  carrying  the  fort,  they  had  accom- 
plished all  that  Grant  desired ;  they  had  drawn  thither 
a  large  portion  of  the  rebel  force,  thus  weakening  the 
garrisons  of  Forts  Breckinridge  and  Bragg,  further 
south  on  the  same  ridge,  and  had  been  able  to  gain 


64:  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

and  hold  a  position  far  up  the  slope,  from  which,  when 
the  time  came,  they  could  deliver  a  crushing  blow  upon 
the  rebel  fort.  It  had  been  announced  to  the  corps  in  a 
general  order,  that  the  firing  of  six  guns  was  to  be 
the  signal  for  the  movement  of  the  fourth  army  corps 
(General  Gordon  Granger's)  to  the  assault  of  Fort 
Breckinridge,  the  largest  and  most  formidable  of  the 
enemy's  works  on  Mission  Ridge,  situated  nearly  a  mile 
below  Fort  Buckner.  This  fort  was  about  two  miles 
distant,  and  nearly  northeast  of  Fort  Wood,  the  earth- 
work on  the  summit  of  Orchard  Knob,  where  Thomas's 
army  were  assembled.  A  little  past  3  p.  M.,  General 
Sherman  sent  word  to  General  Grant  that  he  could  hold 
his  position,  and  at  twenty  minutes  to  four  the  signal- 
guns  boomed  from  Fort  Wood,  and  the  divisions  of 
Wood,  Sheridan,  and  Baird,  forming  the  fourth  army 
corps,  sprang  to  their  positions,  and  in  five  minutes 
were  marching  steadily  towards  the  ridge.  The  rebel 
batteries  on  the  summit,  and  the  rifle-pits  which  girded 
the  slope  and  the  base  of  the  ridge,  commenced  at  once 
a  sweeping  fire  over  the  plain  which  the  assaulting  party 
must  cross,  and  the  Union  batteries — Forts  Wood  and 
Negley,  Forts  Palmer  and  King,  from  a  point  nearer 
Chattanooga,  Bridge's  battery  from  the  base  of  Orchard 
Knob,  and  Moccasin  Point  battery,  from  the  other  side 
of  the  Tennessee — hurled  in  reply  their  heavy  shot  and 
shell,  at  long  range,  on  the  rebel  forts  and  rifle-pits. 
Undismayed  by  the  tempest  of  shot,  and  shell,  and 
bullets  that  rained  so  fiercely  upon  them,  the  veteran 
troops  pressed  steadily  and  swiftly  forward,  cleared  with 
a  hurrah  the  rifle-pits  at  the  base  of  the  ridge,  sending 
the  rebel  troops  which  had  occupied  it  back  as  prisoners, 
and  instantly  ascending  the  precipitous  slope,  a  slope  so 
Bleep  that  it  would  task  severely  the  powers  of  a  skilful 


GENERAL   GRANT.  65 

climber  to  reach  the  top  unopposed  ;  yet,  with  an  ardor 
that  nothing  could  restrain,  upward,  still  upward  they 
went,  though  every  step  was  attended  with  loss  from  the 
fire  of  the  thirteen  batteries  on  the  summit,  and  the  vol- 
leys of  musketry  which  belch  forth  from  the  rebel  rifle- 
pits  and  barricades  half  way  up  the  slope.  These  last  are. 
soon  carried  with  a  shout,  and  their  occupants  sent  reel- 
ing down  the  slope  under  the  fire  of  their  own  batteries, 
and,  without  stopping  for  breath,  the  Union  soldiers  push 
on  up  a  steep  so  precipitous  that  the  cannon  in  the  forts 
cannot  be  depressed  sufficiently  to  reach  them,  and  it  is 
only  the  musketry  fire  from  the  rebels  on  the  summit 
which  opposes  them.  The  rebels  did  not,  would  not, 
believe  that  they  could  reach  the  top.  Bragg  himself 
declared  it  utterly  impossible.  Five  minutes  before  the 
Union  troops  captured  Fort  Breckinridge,  an  old  lady, 
at  whose  house  on  the  summit  Bragg  made  his  head- 
quarters, said  to  him,  "  General,  what  shall  we  do  if 
the  Yankees  do  get  up  here  ?"  "  Oh  !  never  fear," 
was  Bragg's  reply,  "  they  cannot  reach  the  top ;  every 
man  of  them  will  be  killed  before  they  get  near  it." 
"But,"  said  the  old  lady  to  a  Union  officer,  "he  had 
hardly  said  so,  when  they  came  swarming  up,  and 
General  Bragg  and  General  Breckinridge  had  to  ride 
for  their  lives."  The  top  of  the  ridge  was  gained  ; 
Fort  Breckinridge,  after  a  brief  but  sharp  struggle, 
was  captured  ;  and  Bragg's  army,  routed,  and  abandon- 
ing all  their  artillery  and  most  of  their  small-arms,  fled, 
tumbled,  and  rolled  clown  the  eastern  slope  of  the  ridge. 
Instantly  Sherman  advanced  and  drove  the  rebels  from 
Fort  Buckiae'r,  while  Hooker,  who  had  been  moving  from 
the  eastern  slope  of  Lookout  mountain  since  early  morn- 
ing, and  had  ascended  Mission  Ridge  some  distance 
below,  came  upon  Fort  Bragg  two  miles  below, 

6* 


66  CUE   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

and  drove  its  garrison  into  the  valley  of  the  Chicka- 
mauga. 

General  Bragg  was  answered.  The  non-combatants 
were  not  removed  from  Chattanooga,  and  that  redoubt- 
able general,  partly  from  the  loss  of  most  of  his  cannon, 
and  partly  from  the  entire  rout  of  his  forces  and  their 
'rapid  retreat  eastward,  was  unable  to  fulfil  his  threat  of 
shelling  the  city. 

But  General  Grant  had  not  yet  done"  with  General 
Bragg  or  his  troops.  On  the  morning  of  the  26th, 
long  before  dawn,  Davis's  division  of  the  fourteenth 
corps  were  in  rapid  pursuit  of  the  retreating  foe,  and 
very  soon  after  sunrise  three  corps,  Hooker's,  Palmer's, 
and  Sherman's,  were  on  their  way,  and,  overtaking  the 
rear  of  the  enemy,  drove  them  in  confusion  from 
Chickamauga  depot,  capturing  and  destroying  large 
quantities  of  supplies  and  some  cannon  ;  and  thence 
pushing  forward  to  Pigeon  Ridge  and  Graysville,  still 
skirmishing  wherever  the  rebels  would  make  a  stand, 
drove  them  eastward  to  Ringgold  Gap,  where  they 
fought  for  a  time  desperately,  having  every  advantage 
of  position,  but  were  eventually  driven  from  the  Gap 
and  beyond  Red  Clay  station  on  the  Dalton  and  Cleve- 
land railroad  ;  and  that  railroad  being  destroyed,  thus 
eventually  cutting  off  all  communication  between  Bragg 
and  Longstreet,  the  pursuit  was  given  over,  and  the  shat- 
tered columns  of  Bragg's  army  were  gathered  at  Dalton, 
where  Bragg  was  at  once  displaced  from  command,  and 
Hardee,  and  eventually  J.  E.  Johnston,  put  at  the  head 
of  the  rebel  army. 

Meantime,  General  Grant  had  directed  General  Sher- 
man, after  pursuing  the  enemy  a  few  miles,  to  turn  north- 
ward, and,  marching  with  all  practicable  speed,  put  him- 
self in  communication  with  General  Burnside  and  compel 


GENERAL   GKANT.  67 

Longstreet  to  raise  the  siege  of  Knoxville.  This  was 
accomplished,  and  Longstreet,  who,  enraged  at  having 
been  outwitted,  had  dashed  himself  in  vain  against  the 
defences  of  Knoxville,  found  himself  compelled,  on  the 
4th  of  December,  by  the  near  approach  of  Sherman's 
army,  to  abandon  the  siege  and  retreat  towards  Vir- 
ginia, while  both  Foster's  and  Sherman's  cavalry  pur- 
sued. 

With  this  movement  the  campaign  of  Chattanooga 
closed,  a  campaign  hardly  less  brilliant  than  that  of 
Vicksburg,  and  one  which  paralyzed  for  months  the 
rebel  army  in  the  Southwest. 

On  the  7th  of  December  it  was  announced  that  from 
the  commencement  of  the  war,  up  to  that  date,  the 
armies  under  General  Grant's  particular  command 
had  captured  four  hundred  and  seventy-two  cannon, 
ninety  thousand  prisoners,  and  more  than  a  hundred 
thousand  stand  of  small-arms. 

On  the  8th  of  December  the  President  of  the  United 
States  sent  the  following  dispatch  to  General  Grant : 

WASHINGTON,  DEC.  8,  1863. 
MAJOR-GENERAL  GRANT: 

Understanding  that  your  lodgment  at  Chattanooga 
and  Knoxville  is  now  secure,  I  wish  to  tender  you,  and 
all  under  your  command,  my  more  than  thanks — my  pro- 
foundest  gratitude,  for  the  skill,  courage,  and  perse- 
verance with  which  you  and  they,  over  so  great  dif- 
ficulties, have  effected  that  important  object.  God 
bless  you  all! 

A.  LINCOLN. 

On  the  10th  of  December,  General  Grant  issued  the 
following  congratulatory  order  to  the  army  under  his 


68  OUR   GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

command.  Its  quiet,  self-possessed,  and  appreciative 
tone,  while  they  contrast  favorably  with  the  boastful 
character  of  some  of  the  general  orders'  of  officers 
whose  achievements  were  far  less  conspicuous  than  his, 
remind  us  forcibly  of  the  orders  of  that  other  great 
commander,  whom  in  so  many  traits  of  character  he 
strikingly  resembles,  the  Duke -of  Wellington. 

HEADQUARTERS,  MILITARY  DIVISION  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  \ 
IN  THE  FIELD,  CHATTANOOGA,  TENNESSEE, 

Dec.  10,  1863.     ) 
General  Orders,  No.  9. 

The  general-commanding  takes  this  opportunity  of 
returning  his  sincere  thanks  and  congratulations  to  the 
brave  armies  of  the  Cumberland,  the  Ohio,  the  Ten- 
nessee, and  their  comrades  from  the  Potomac,  for  the 
recent  splendid  and  decisive  successes  achieved  over  the 
enemy.  In  a  short  time  you  have  recovered  from  him 
the  control  of  the  Tennessee  river,  from  Bridgeport  to 
Knoxville.  You  dislodged  him  from  his  great  strong- 
hold upon  Lookout  mountain,  drove  him  from  Chatta- 
nooga valley,  wrested  from  his  determined  grasp  the 
possession  of  Missionary  Ridge,  repelled  with  heavy 
loss  to  him  his  repeated  assaults  upon  Knoxville,  forcing 
him  to  raise  the  siege  there,  driving  him  at  all  points, 
utterly  routed  and  discomfited,  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
State.  By  your  noble  heroism  and  determined  courage 
you  have  most  effectually  defeated  the  plans  of  the  enemy 
for  regaining  possession  of  the  States  of  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee.  You  have  secured  positions  from  which  no 
rebellious  power  can  drive  or  dislodge  you.  For  all  this, 
the  general-commanding  thanks  you,  collectively  and  in- 
dividually. The  loyal  people  of  the  United  States  thank 
and  bless  you.  Their  hopes  and  prayers  for  your  sue- 


GENERAL    GRANT.  69 

cess  against  this  unholy  rebellion  are  with  you  daily. 
Their  faith  in  you  will  not  be  in  vain.  Their  hopes  will 
not  be  blasted.  Their  prayers  to  Almighty  God  will  be 
answered.  You  will  yet  go  to  other  fields  of  strife ; 
and  with  the  invincible  bravery  and  unflinching  loyalty 
to  justice  and  right  which  have  characterized  you  in  the 
past,  you  will  prove  that  no  enemy  can  withstand  you, 
and  that  no  defences,  however  formidable,  can  check 
your  onward  march. 

By  order  of 

Maj.-Qen.  U.  S.  GRANT. 
T.  S.  BOWERS,  A.  A.  GK 

The  honors  lavished  upon  General  Grant  for  this  and 
his  previous  successes,  were  not  confined  to  the  thanks 
gent  him  by  the  President.  On  the  17th  of  Dec.,  1863, 
a  joint  resolution  passed  both  houses  of  Congress",  and 
received  the  Executive  approval,  which,  in  addition  to 
the  thanks  of  the  national  Legislature,  provided  for  a 
gold  medal,  with  suitable  emblems,  devices,  and  inscrip- 
tions, to  be  prepared  and  presented  to  General  Grant. 
This  token  of  a  nation's  grateful  regard  was  designed  by 
the  artist  Leutze.  On  one  face  of  the  medal  was  a  pro- 
file likeness  of  the  hero,  surrounded  by  a  wreath  of 
laurels — his  name  and  the  year  of  his  victories  inscribed 
upon  it ;  and  the  whole  surrounded  by  a  galaxy  of  stars. 
The  design  for  the  obverse  was  the  figure  of  Fame  seated 
in  a  graceful  attitude  on  the  American  Eagle,  .which  with 
wings  outspread  seems  about  to  take  flight.  In  her  right 
hand  she  holds  her  trumpet,  and  in  her  left  a  scroll  on 
which  are  inscribed  Corinth,  Vicksburg,  Mississippi  riv- 
er, and  Chattanooga.  On  her  head  is  an  Indian  helmet 
with  radiating  feathers.  In  front  of  the  eagle  is  the  em- 
blematic shield  of  the  United  States.  Below  the  group, 


70  OUR   GEEAT   CAPTAINS. 

sprigs  of  the  pine  and  palm,  denoting  the  North  and 
South,  cross  each  other.  Above  the  figure  of  Fame  in  a 
curved  line  is  the  motto,  "  Proclaim  Liberty  throughout 
the  Land."  The  edge  is  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  By- 
zantine stars,  exceeding  the  number  of  the  present  States 
of  the  Union.  Resolutions  of  thanks  were  also  passed 
by  the  Legislatures  of  most  of  the  loyal  States ;  and  nu- 
merous costly  presents  (swords,  pistols,  &c.)  were  made 
by  admiring  friends.  None  of  these  honors,  however, 
produced  on  the  part  of  the  recipient  of  them  any  ela- 
tion, or  changed  in  the  least  the  simplicity  and  modesty 
of  his  manners,  or  his  earnest  devotion  to  the  work  of 
putting  down  the  rebellion.  His  health  was  not  fully 
re-established,  after  the  severe  injuries  he  had  received 
at  New  Orleans,  but  he  toiled  more  continuously  and 
patiently  than  any  officer  in  the  service.  The  communi- 
cations of  his  army  with  its  bases  at  Nashville  and  Louis- 
ville, which  had  long  been  broken  or  in  indifferent  con- 
dition, must  be  put  in  the  best  order,  and  abundant 
stores  accumulated  at  Chattanooga,  Nashville,  and 
Knoxville,  for  the  coming  campaign  into  the  heart  of 
Georgia.  His  men,  worn  down  by  short  rations  and 
severe  labors,  must  be  recruited  by  the  best  of  care  to 
the  highest  degree  of  efficiency,  and  withal  there  must 
be  during  the  winter  months  a  severe  and  crushing  blow 
struck  upon  some  vital  point  of  the  Confederacy  in  the 
Southwest.  He  had  hoped  to  join  in  a  co-operative 
movement  with  the  Department  of  the  Gulf  on  Mobile, 
but  his  plans  in  that  direction  were  thwarted  by  some 
adverse  influences.  He  then  determined  upon  an  expe- 
dition from  Vicksburg  eastward  to  reach  Meridian, 
Miss.,  and,  if  possible,  Selma  and  Montgomery,  Ala. ; 
this  expedition  to  be  joined  at  or  near  Meridian  by  a 
cavalry  force  dispatched  simultaneously  from  Lagrange 


GENERAL   GRANT.  71  . 

southward,  and  the  two  to  traverse  at  will  the  central 
portions  of  Mississippi  and  Alabama.  The  enterprise 
was  a  bold  and  daring  one  ;  the  army  which  should  un- 
dertake it  must  cut  loose  from  their  base,  and  obtain 
their  subsistence  mainly  from  the  enemy's  country — and 
this  with  a  force  of  twenty  or  twenty-five  thousand  men 
was  not  an  easy  matter.  The  management  and  leader- 
ship of  the  principal  column,  which  was  to  move  east- 
ward from  Vicksburg,  he  assigned  to  his  tried  and  able 
lieutenant,  General  William  T.Sherman,  and  the  command 
of  the  cavalry  co-operating  force  to  his  chief  of  cavalry, 
General  W.  Sooy  Smith.  The  expedition  started  early  in 
February,  and  penetrated  as  far  as  Meridian ;  but  the 
cavalry  failing  to  join  them,  they  advanced  no  further 
eastward,  but  returned  to  Vicksburg  after  an  absence  of 
a  month.  In  consequence  of  this  failure  on  the  part  of 
the  cavalry  to  connect,  which  was  not  wholly  their  fault, 
the  expedition  did  not  produce  all  the  results  expected 
from  it  by  General  Grant ;  but  it  greatly  crippled  the 
resources  of  the  rebels,  made  their  railroads  worthless  as 
communications,  and  by  the  alarm  it  awakened  prevented 
the  forces  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Gulf  from  joining  John- 
ston, who  had  now  succeeded  Hardee  in  the  command 
of  the  rebel  army  at  Dalton. 

While  this  expedition  was  in  progress  General  Grant 
was  summoned  to  new  and  higher  responsibilities.  Con- 
gress resolved  to  revive  the  grade  of  Lieutenant-General, 
which  had  been  conferred  by  brevet  only,  on  General 
Scott,  but  as  an  actual  rank  in  time  of  war  had  only  been 
bestowed  on  General  Washington  ;  and  a  law  to  that 
effect  having  been  passed,  the  President  at  once  con- 
ferred the  commission  on  General  Grant,  and  the  Senate 
confirmed  it.  The  commission  bore  date  March  2d,  1864, 
and  on  the  9th  of  that  month  the  President  presented 


72  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

to  him  in  person  this  commission,  assuring  him  of  his 
own  hearty  personal  concurrence  in  the  measure.  General 
Grant  replied  very  briefly,  but  evidently  with  deep  feel- 
ing. On  the  12th  of  March,  the  President,  by  official 
order,  assigned  to  the  lieutenant-general  the  command 
of  the  armies  of  the  United  States;  at  the  same  time  ap- 
pointing General  W.  T.  Sherman  commander  of  the  grand 
military  division  of  the  Mississippi,  which  General  Grant 
had  previously  commanded  ;  and  General  McPherson,  an 
able  and  accomplished  officer,  to  succeed  General  Sher- 
man in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  ;  while 
General  Halleck,  hitherto  general-in-chief,  Avas  relieved 
from  duty,  and  made  chief  of  staff  to  the  army,  at 
Washington. 

General  Grant  had,  in  January,  1864,  visited  all  parts 
of  his  command,  the  military  division  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  carefully  observed  its  condition,  but  his  position  as 
lieutenant-general  required  that  he  should  spend  some 
time  in  ascertaining  the  condition  of  the  other  Western 
departments,  and  that  he  should  arrange  with  General 
Sherman  the  future  movements  of  the  spring  and  sum- 
mer campaign.  This  done,  he  returned  as  speedily  as 
possible,  and  made  every  preparation  for  the  coming 
campaign  in  Virginia.  He  purposed  taking  command  in 
person  of  the  forces  destined  to  assail  Richmond,  though 
keeping  a  vigilant  oversight  of  the  movements  in  other 
parts  of  the  country.  General  Sherman,  with  his  mag- 
nificent force,  composed  of  the  three  armies,  of  the  Cum- 
berland, the  Tennessee,  and  the  Ohio,  had  been  ordered 
to  move,  as  nearly  as  possible,  simultaneously  with  the 
armies  in  Virginia,  so  that  there  should  be  no  reinforce- 
ments sent  from  one  rebel  army  to  the  other,  as  there 
had  been  during  the  previous  autumn. 

The  force  with  which  Grant  took  the  field   against 


GENERAL   GRANT.  3 

Lee,  was  such  a  one  as  has  seldom  been  under  a  single 
commander,  or  concentrated  upon  a  single  object.  It 
consisted,  in  fact,  of  three  armies;  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  under  the  command  of  Major-General  Meade, 
consisting  of  three  corps  of  infantry  recruited  up  to  their 
foil  strength,  and  numbering  each  nearly  fifty  thousand 
men,  with  such  corps-commanders  as  Hancock,  Warren, 
and  Sedgwick ;  a  cavalry  corps  of  extraordinary  ability, 
commanded  by  the  gallant  and  fiery  Sheridan,  and  a  re- 
serve corps  of  about  40,000  men,  one-third  of  them 
colored  troops,  under  the  command  of  the  brave  and 
trusty  Burnside ;  the  Army  of  the  James,  under  the 
command  of  Major-General  Butler,  composed  of  two 
corps,  one  that  was  hitherto  known  as  the  Army  of 
Eastern  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  the  other  a  fine 
corps,  partly  composed  of  colored  troops,  under  the  com- 
mand of  General  Gilmore,  hitherto  forming  a  part  of  the 
Army  of  the  Department  of  the  South ;  and  the  Army  of 
the  Shenandoah,  commanded  by  Major-General  Franz 
Sigel,  and  composed  of  the  Army  of  Western  Virginia, 
under  General  Crooks,  and  to  which  was  subsequently 
added  the  nineteenth  army  corps,  formerly  from  the 
Department  of  the  Gulf,  commanded  by  General  Emory, 
and  with  these  a  considerable  cavalry  force.  But,  though 
seeking  the  accomplishment  of  a  common  object — the 
reduction  of  Richmond — these  armies  were  moving  from 
different  points,  and  over  different  fields,  to  effect  it. 
Lee's  forces  lay  south  of  the  Rapidan,  stretching  east- 
ward from  Orange  Court-house,  and  his  cavalry  guard- 
ing his  left  flank  towards  Gordonsville,  and  his  right  near 
Chancellorsville.  The  Army  of  the  Potomac,  which  for 
months  had  been  confronting  him,  lay  north  of  the  Rap- 
idan, its  headquarters  being  at  Culpepper  Court-house, 
and  its  camps  extending  from  Brandy  Station  to  Robert- 


74:  OUH   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

son's  river.  To  this  army  was  assigned  the  opening  of 
the  conflict,  and  the  mighty  task  of  driving  back  Lee's 
vast  force,  which  possessed  the  advantage  of  interior 
lines.  The  Army  of  the  James  had  for  its  first  duty  the 
seizing,  by  an  adroitly  executed  feint,  the  position  at 
Bermuda  Hundred,  lying  on  the  south  or  right  bank* of 
the  James,  nearly  midway  between  Richmond  and 
Petersburg ;  and,  if  it  should  prove  practicable,  the  in- 
terposition of  a  sufficient  force  pei'manently  between 
Richmond  and  Petersburg,  and  the  capture  of  the  latter 
city.  The  Army  of  the  Shenandoah,  though  not  at  first 
existing  under  that  title,  had  for  its  first  mission  a  move- 
ment upon  Staunton,  "VVaynesboro,  and  Lynchburg,  with 
the  intent  of  crippling  the  resources  and  effectually  cut- 
ting off  the  supplies  of  Lee's  army  from  the  West,  and 
at  the  same  time  guarding  against  any  sudden  move- 
ment of  a  rebel  force  down  the  Valley  of  the  Shenan- 
doah, and  into  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania. 

Every  thing  being  thus  prepared,  the  order  was  given 
on  the  night  of  May  3d,  for  the  army  of  the  Potomac  to 
break  up  camp,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  4th,  the  three 
corps  crossed  the  Rapidan,  the  Second  corps  (Han- 
cock's) in  front,  crossing  at  Ely's  ford,  the  Fifth  (War- 
ren's) and  the  Sixth  (Sedgwick's)  immediately  following, 
crossing  at  Germanna  ford.  This  movement,  which 
aimed  at  flanking  Lee's  right,  as  his  army  were  strongly 
intrenched  at  Mine  run,  was  at  once  observed  by  General 
Lee,  who,  with  his  usual  promptness,  made  a  counter 
movement  to  match  it.  From  a  short  distance  south  of 
Germanna  ford,  eastward  to  and  beyond  Chancellorsville, 
stretches  a  tract  of  dense,  tangled  forest  and  undergrowth, 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  in  length  and  about  five  miles 
wide,  traversed  by  few  and  indifferent  roads,  known  as 
the  "  Wilderness."  It  was  in  the  eastern  part  of  this 


GENEBAL   GRANT.  75 

that  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  was  fought,  in  May, 
1863.  Into  this  desolate  and  difficult  region  the  array  of 
the  Potomac  plunged,  almost  immediately  on  crossing  the 
Rapidan  ;  and  against  their  line,  at  right  angles,  between 
the  Fifth  and  Sixth  corps,  Lee  flung  Longstreet's  corps, 
on  Thursday,  May  5th,  before  they  had  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  getting  into  position,  and  while  they  were  yet 
embarrassed  by  the  dense  and  tangled  undergrowth  of 
the  forest.  The  weight  of  the  first  attack  fell  on  Sedg- 
wick's  corps,  which,  though  losing  heavily,  succeeded  in 
holding  its  own.  Drawing  back  momentarily,  Long- 
street  returned  to  the  attack  with  still  greater  despera- 
tion, and  at  first  seemed  to  be  carrying  all  before  him, 
but  Sedgwick's  veterans  would  not  yield,  and  the  enemy, 
sorely  disappointed,  withdrew ;  then  a  fresh  force  was 
hurled  against  the  centre  (Warren's  corps),  but,  though 
gaining  a  temporary  advantage,  was  finally  foiled,  and 
beaten  back.  The  battle  lasted  far  into  the  night,  but 
with  indecisive  results.  At  4  o'clock,  A.  M.,  on  Friday, 
6th  of  May,  Lee  renewed  the  attack,  again  massing  his 
force,  and  attempting  to  break  through  the  right  and 
centre :  the  attack  was  repulsed,  and  by  6  A.  M.,  Han- 
cock commenced  driving  the  rebels,  who  fell  back  to  a 
high  ridge,  with  a  marsh  in  front, — a  position  they  had 
previously  fortified.  Through  the  day  the  fighting  was 
terribly  severe,  each  party  in  turn  gaining  some  slight 
success,  though  at  the  expense  of  terrible  slaughter- 
Towards  dark  an  attack  was  made  on  the  extreme  right 
of  the  Union  lines,  and  they  were  turned,  and  the  right 
completely  flanked.  General  Grant  showed  his  military 
skill  and  fertility  of  resources  by  extending  his  left  and 
centre,  which  were  still  firm,  southward,  and  bringing 
his  right  into  a  new  position,  changing  his  base  mean- 
while to  Fredericksburg  and  the  Rappahannock.  He 


76  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

thus  flanked  Lee  in  turn,  and  out  of  threatened  defeat 
evoked  success.  He  had  also  gained  another  advantage, 
in  getting  out  of  the  Wilderness  into  a  more  open 
country,  where  he  could  use  his  artillery  with  greater 
effect.  Moreover,  Burnside,  with  a  part  of  the  reserves, 
Had  come  up  in  season  to  take  part  in  the  fight  of  Friday 
afternoon.  An  advance  at  daybreak  on  Saturday  (May 
7th)  showed  that  Lee  had  fallen  back.  Grant  pursued 
vigorously,  and  came  upon  him  near  Spottsylvania  Court- 
house, where  he  had  taken  a  new  and  very  strong  po- 
sition. On  Sunday,  Monday,  and  Tuesday  there  was 
some  sharp  fighting,  but  without  any  decisive  result. 
On  Wednesday  the  fighting  was  more  severe,  but  still 
without  marked  result.  On  Wednesday  night  (llth), 
General  Grant  directed  Hancock's  (Second)  corps  to  be 
transferred  to  the  left,  taking  up  a  position  between 
Sedgwick's  (Sixth)  and  Burnside's  (Ninth)  corps.  This 
movement  was  made  for  the  purpose  of  turning  the 
enemy's  right,  and  at  the  same  time  forcing  them  further 
from  their  connections  with  Richmond.  At  half-past 
4  A.  M.,  on  the  12th,  the  Second  corps  (Hancock's) 
moved  on  the  enemy  in  a  most  terrible  bayonet-charge, 
which  proved  a  perfect  surprise  to  the  rebels,  winning  the 
day,  capturing  thirty  heavy  guns,  and  over  four  thousand 
prisoners,  including  two  generals.  The  Fifth  and  Ninth 
corps  also  made  successful  charges.  This  was  the  first 
great  success  of  the  campaign,  and  it  rendered  the  rebels 
desperate  ;  they  made  repeated  and  obstinate  charges  in 
the  attempt  to  retake  the  positions  captured  by  Han- 
cock, continuing  their  struggles,  though  at  terrible  cost, 
till  3  o'clock  on  Friday  morning.  On  Friday,  Lee  re- 
formed his  lines,  moving  further  to  the  right,  and  Grant 
kept  pace  with  him.  On  Friday  night  the  rebels  at- 
tacked the  Fifth  corps  (Warren's),  but  were  repulsed 


GENERAL  GKANT.  77 

with  severe  loss.  From  the  12th  to  the  18th  of  May 
there  was  a  lull  in  the  fighting,  both  armies  resting,  and 
receiving  large  reinforcements.  On  the  18th,  General 
Hancock  attacked  the  right  flank  of  the  rebels,  and 
gained  two  lines  of  his  intrenchments.  Burnside  was  also 
engaged  the  same  day,  but  without  decisive  result.  Gen- 
eral Grant  had  already  planned  another  flanking  move- 
ment, by  way  of  Guiney's  station,  to  Milford  bridge, 
which  occupied  the  next  three  days,  and  which  was  suc- 
cessfully executed,  except  some  loss  of  wagons  and  am- 
bulances, from  an  attack  of  Ewell.  Lee  meantime  had 
moved  and  occupied  a  strong  position  between  the  North 
and  South  Anna.  After  some  hard  fighting,  in  which 
the  Union  troops  reaped  partial  success,  General  Grant 
found  their  position  too  strong  for  direct  attack,  and 
again  prepared  to  make  a  flank  movement.  Ordering 
the  army  to  recross  the  North  Anna,  and  making  an  at- 
tack with  his  right  wing,  to  cover  the  movement,  he 
burnt  the  bridge  of  the  Virginia  Central  railroad, 
rapidly  crossed  the  Pamunkey,  and  on  the  31st  of  May 
had  his  entire  army  across  the  Pamunkey,  and  within 
fifteen  miles  of  Richmond.  Here  again  he  found  Lee 
ready  to  receive  him,  and,  with  reinforcements  received 
from  the  Shenandoah  valley,  presented  a  full  front.  For 
two  or  three  days  there  was  cavalry  fighting  and  skir- 
mishing, but  no  general  engagement.  On  the  first  of 
June  the  Sixth  corps  took  up  a  strong  position  near 
Cold  Harbor,  where  they  were  joined  by  a  force  under 
General  W.  F.  Smith,  detached  from  the  army  of  the 
James.  Here,  on  the  third  of  June,  a  stubborn  and 
desperate  battle  was  fought,  which  resulted  in  the  pos- 
session of  Cold  Harbor  by  the  Union  forces.  The  same 
day  the  Union  troops  attacked  the  rebel  position,  and  a 
bloody  and  protracted  engagement  followed,  but  they 

7* 


78  OTTK   QEEAT   CAPTAINS. 

failed  to  carry  the  rebel  works.  Finding  that  to  dis- 
lodge the  enemy  from  his  position  by  direct  attack 
would  require  too  great  a  sacrifice  of  life,  General  Grant 
now  determined  on  the  bold  measure  of  crossing  the 
James  river,  and  making  his  attack  on  Richmond  from 
that  side.  This  movement  was  made  in  the  face  of  the 
enemy,  though  without  his  knowledge,  in  three  days, 
viz.,  from  the  12th  to  the  15th  of  June. 

General  Butler  had  meantime  been  executing  his  part 
of  the  programme  with  great  skill.  He  had  occupied 
Bermuda  Hundred,  and  fortified  his  position  there ;  had 
cut  the  railroad  below  Petersburg,  and  made  a  dash 
upon  that  city,  but  had  not  succeeded  in  capturing  it ; 
had  laid  siege  to  Fort  Darling,  but  had  been  unable  to 
hold  his  position  against  the  rebel  force ;  had  repelled 
the  rebel  attacks  upon  his  lines,  and  was  in  position  to 
welcome  the  approach  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  and 
render  it  valuable  assistance.  The  army  of  West  Vir- 
ginia, under  General  Sigel,  had  been  less  successful.  On 
the  15th  of  May  he  encountered  a  considerable  rebel 
force  at  Reed's  hill,  near  Mount  Jackson,  in  the  valley 
of  the  Shenandoah,  and  was  severely  handled.  He  was 
then  relieved  of  command,  and  succeeded  by  General 
Hunter,  who  at  first  met  with  better  fortune.  He  de- 
feated General  Sam  Jones,  near  Staunton,  and  killed 
him;  .took  1,500  prisoners  and  several  guns,  driving  the 
rebels  to  Waynesboro.  On  the  8th  he  formd  a  junction 
with  Crook  and  Averill;  and,  while  General  Sheridan 
moved  towards  Gordonsville,  and  defeated  the  rebels  at 
Trevilian  station,  Hunter  pressed  on  towards  Lynchburg, 
destroying  railroads  and  bridges  on  his  way,  but  finding 
it  strongly  defended  did  not  venture  to  attack,  and  Early 
marching  against  him,  in  turn,  with  a  large  force,  re- 
treated into  the  mountains,  and  made  a  forced  march 


GENERAL  GRANT.  T9 

into  Western  Virginia.     On  this  march  his  army  suffered 
terribly,  and  he  lost  heavily  in  guns  and  wagons. 

Sheridan,  meantime,  had  made  his  famous  raid  around 
Lee's  lines,  destroying  railroads,  trains,  depots  of  sup- 
plies, releasing  our  prisoners,  and  capturing  many  of  the 
enemy.  He  penetrated  within  the  first  line  of  works 
around  Richmond,  and  having  cut  all  Lee's  communica- 
tions, reached  Butler's  headquarters  in  safety,  five  days 
after  starting. 

The  rebel  General  Early,  finding  himself  unopposed, 
extended  his  expedition  down  the  Shenandoah,  crossed 
into  Maryland,  occupied  Hagerstown  and  Frederick, 
and  plundered  extensively,  fought  two  or  three  battles 
with  the  militia,  which  had  been  called  out  to  oppose 
him,  threatened  Baltimore  and  Washington,  approach- 
ing within  two  miles  of  the  latter  city,  but  finding  that 
the  Nineteenth  corps,  from  New  Orleans,  and^the  Sixth, 
from  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  were  ready  to  attack 
him,  and  that  General  Couch,  from  Pennsylvania,  was 
threatening  his  rear,  he  hastened  back  into  Virginia, 
taking  Avith  him  most  of  his  plunder. 

General  Grant,  having  reached  the  south  side  of  the 
James,  ordered  an  immediate  attack  on  Petersburg. 
This  would  probably  have  proved  successful  but  for  the 
lack  of  co-operation  on  the  pai't  of  the  cavalry  force, 
through  some  misunderstanding.  A  series  of  attacks 
were  made  upon  the  rebel  works,  and  by  the  22d  of 
June  the  city  was  invested,  except  on  the  north  and 
west.  There  was  sharp  fighting  that  day  for  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Petersburg  and  Danville  or  South  side  railroad, 
which  was  finally  held  by  the  Union  troops.  Meantime, 
an  extensive  raid  was  made  by  Wilson  and  Kautz's 
cavalry  upon  the  Weldon  railroad,  several  miles  of  which 
they  destroyed,  together  with  stores,  &c.  Before  they 


80  OUR   GREAT  CAPTAINS. 

ccmld  reach  our  lines,  however,  they  were  surrounded 
by  a  large  rebel  force,  and  lost  seven  or  eight  hundred 
men.  After  an  interval  "of  comparative  quiet,  during 
which  General  Grant  had  succeeded  in  running  a  mine 
nearly  under  the  confederate  fortifications,  he  ordered  a 
feint  to  be  made  on  the  north  side  of  the  James,  to 
divert  General  Lee's  attention  from  an  assault  which  he 
purposed  making  on  Petersburg  at  the  time  of  exploding 
the  mine.  The  feint,  better  known  as  the  action  of 
Strawberry  Plains,  was  successful  in  turning  the  enemy's 
left,  and  capturing  four  heavy  guns.  On  the  30th  of 
July  the  mine,  which  was  charged  with  eight  tons  of 
powder,  was  exploded,  and  the  assault  commenced. 
There  was  a  disagreement  between  the  commanders,  and 
fatal  delays  occurred,  which  permitted  the  rebels  to  re- 
cover ftom  their  first  panic,  and  make  effectual  resist- 
ance, and  the  movement  failed  of  success,  and  entailed 
heavy  losses  upon  the  troops  engaged  in  it.  Not  dis- 
heartened by  this  failure,  General  Grant  continued  his 
operations  with  renewed  energy.  The  battle  of  Deep 
Bottom,  on  the  north  side  of  the  James,  occurred  on  the 
12th  of  August.  The  Second  corps  alone  was  engaged, 
and  dislodged  the  enemy  from  his  position,  taking  500 
prisoners,  six  cannon,  and  two  mortars.  On  the  18th  of 
August,  the  Fifth  corps  (Warren's)  moved  on  Reams 
station,  on  the  Weldon  railroad,  surprised  the  rebel 
force  guarding  it,  and  took  possession  of  the  road.  On 
the  19th  a  large  rebel  force  attacked  Warren  with  great 
impetuosity,  and  breaking  the  right  centre.  The  Union 
troops  rallied,  however,  and  being  reinfored  by  two  di- 
visions of  the  Ninth  corps,  retrieved  measurably  the  for- 
tunes of  the  day,  holding  a  part  of  the  road,  though  with 
a  loss  of  nearly  4,000  men. 
During  the  next  five  weeks  there  were  no  movements 


GENEKAL   GKANT.  81 

of  great  importance  in  the  vicinity  of  Richmond  or 
Petersburg,  though  a  little  advance  had  been  made  by 
occasional  attacks  upon  the  enemy's  lines.  On  the  night 
of  the  28th  September,  General  Ord  crossed  the  James 
to  the  north  side,  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  29th 
advanced  on  the  intrenchments  at  Chaffin's  farm,  and 
carried  them  without  serious  loss,  capturing  nearly  300 
prisoners  and  fifteen  pieces  of  artillery.  General  Birney, 
at  the  same  time,  moved  up  the  Newmarket  road,  and 
carried  the  intrenchments  there  with  perfect  ease.  The 
Union  forces  then  took  possession  of  Fort  Harrison,  and 
advanced  as  far  as  Laurel  Hill.  On  the  30th,  the  rebels 
made  a  desperate  effort  to  capture  Fort  Harrison,  but 
failed,  and  the  Union  cavalry,  on  the  1st  of  October, 
made  a  reconnoissance  within  less  than  two  miles  of  Rich- 
mond. On  the  *7th  of  October,  the  rebels  attempted  to 
turn  the  right  flank  of  the  army  of  the  James,  but  after 
some  temporary  success  and  some  sharp  fighting  they 
were  severely  repulsed.  On  the  29th  of  October,  Gen- 
eral Grant  ordered  a  reconnoissance  in  force  against  the 
rebel  position  at  Hatcher's  run.  A  severe  battle  ensued, 
with  considerable  loss  on  the  part  of  the  Union  troops, 
but  the  position  was  held  until  General  Grant  ordered 
their  withdrawal. 

Dissatisfied  with  the  inefficiency  which  had  existed  in 
the  Shenandoah  valley,  and  Northern  Virginia  and  Mary- 
land, General  Grant  advised,  in  August,  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  new  and  larger  department,  to  be  called  the 
Department  of  the  Shenandoah,  and  the  appointment  of 
Major-General  Philip  H.  Sheridan  to  its  command:  This 
was  done,  and  after  careful  watching  of  the  enemy  for 
some  time,  General  Sheridan  decided  that  the  time  for 
action  had  come.  He  had  at  this  time  under  his  com- 
mand the  Army  of  Western  Virginia,  and  the  Sixth  and 


82  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

Nineteenth  corps.  On  the  19th  of  September  wasfoughtthe 
battle  known  as  that  of  Oqequan  creek,  in  which,  after 
a  sharp  contest,  General  Sheridan,  by  a  brilliant  cavalry 
charge,  drove  Early's  army  from  the  field  in  confusion, 
capturing  over  2,000  prisoners  and  a  large  number  of 
guns.  On  the  22d  he  attacked  them  again  at  Fisher's 
Hill,  routing  them  completely,  capturing  their  artillery, 
horses,  and  ammunition,  and  pursued  them  as  far  as 
Staunton,  causing  them  a  loss  in  the  two  engagements 
of  over  10,000  men.  On  the  9th,  the  rebel  General 
Rosser  attacked  Sheridan  again  at  Fisher's  Hill,  but  was 
grievously  defeated.  On  the  19th  of  October,  General 
Early  attacked  the  Union  forces  again,  when  General 
Sheridan  was  absent,  and  in  the  morning  defeated  it, 
driving  the  Union  troops  three  miles,  and  taking  twenty- 
four  cannon ;  but  Sheridan  coming  up,  rallied  his  men, 
reformed  them,  and  defeated  the  rebels  in  turn,  utterly 
routing  them,  capturing  fifty-four  pieces  of  artillery,  in- 
cluding all  his  own. 

General  Sherman  had  fulfilled,  in  the  most  brilliant 
manner,  the  work  assigned  to  him.  After  a  campaign 
of  extraordinary  vigor  and  many  hard-fought  battles,  he 
took  possession  of  Atlanta  on  the  2d  of  September.  Hood, 
who  was  in  command  of  the  rebel  force,  rallying  from 
his  severe  defeats,  attempted  to  cut  Sherman's  lines  of 
communication  with  his  base  ;  and  Sherman  giving  him, 
for  good  reasons,  every  facility  of  doing  so,  sent  General 
Thomas  with  two  corps  to  the  Tennessee  river  to  look 
after  Hood,  who  was  by  this  time  in  Alabama,  and  then 
tearing  up  the  railroad  between  Atlanta  and  Chatta- 
nooga, and  cutting  loose  from  his  base,  started  with  a 
large  force  across  the  country,  nearly  three  hundred 
miles,  to  Savannah,  which  was  surrendered  to  him  on 
the  22d  of  December. 


GENERAL   GRANT.  83 

Meantime,  Hood  rashly  pushed  on  after  Thomas,  whose 
instructions  were  to  draw  him  on,  and  after  fighting  a 
severe  battle  at  Franklin,  on  the  30th  of  November,  in 
which  he  lost  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  eighteen 
generals  and  about  7,000  of  his  troops,  attempted  to  in- 
vest Nashville;  but  on  the  15th  of  December  General 
Thomas  attacked  and  routed  him  completely,  pursuing 
him  to  the  Tennessee  river.  Hood's  losses  were  about 
17,000  men  in  these  two  engagements. 

An  expedition  was  planned  late  in  the  season  by 
General  Grant  against  Wilmington,  and  sailed  on  the 
13th  of  December  from  Hampton  roads,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Genei'al  Butler,  accompanied  by  a  naval  squad- 
ron under  Rear- Admiral  Porter.  This  expedition  was 
unsuccessful,  and  the  troops  returned  to  City  Point ;  but 
soon  after,  a  second  expedition,  under  the  command  of 
General  A.  H.  Terry,  embarked  f6r  the  same  destina- 
tion, and  on  the  15th  of  January  captured  Fort  Fisher, 
and  effectually  sealed  the  harbor  of  Wilmington,  On 
the  6th  of  February,  General  Grant  ordered  another 
movement  with  four  corps  of  the  army  to  Hatcher's 
Run,  with  the  intention  of  establishing  his  lines  in  closer 
proximity  to  the  Weldon  railroad.  The  struggle  was  a 
desperate  one,  and  on  the  second  day  the  enemy  was 
successful,  as  before,  in  finding  a  gap  in  the  Union  lines, 
through  which  he  broke,  causing  a  considerable  loss ;  but 
the  Union  soldiers  were  able  the  next  day  to  regain  the 
ground  they  had  lost  and  hold  it,  and  established  them- 
selves permanently  four  miles  in  advance  of  their  pre- 
vious position.  On  the  25th  of  March  the  rebels,  by  a 
sudden  attack  in  mass,  seized  Fort  Steadman,  near  Pe- 
tersburg, and  captured  the  garrison;  but  the  Union 
troops  rallying  promptly,  retook  the  fort,  and  drove  the 
rebels  back  into  and  beyond  their  lines,  and  the  Sixth 


84:  OUR  GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

and  Second  corps  advancing  at  the  same  time,  gained 
and  held  a  portion  of  their  lines.  The  Union  loss  in  this 
affair  was  about  2,000,  that  of  the  rebels  over  6,000,  of 
whom  2,800  were  prisoners.  On  the  29th  of  March,  the 
Union  army  was,  by  General  Grant's  order,  put  in 
motion,  with  a  view  to  occupying  the  Southside  rail- 
road. For  this  purpose,  General  Sheridan,  with  a  large 
cavalry  force,  and  one  corps  of  infantry,  was  ordered  to 
make  a  wide  detour,  and  threaten  Burksville,  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Southside  and  Richmond  and  Danville  rail- 
roads, and  when  he  had  succeeded  in  compelling  Lee  to 
detach  a  sufficient  force  to  protect  that  important  point, 
to  wheel  suddenly,  and,  striking  the  Southside  railroad 
within  eight  or  ten  miles  of  Petersburg,  and  tearing  it 
up  as  he  went,  take  the  rebel  army  in  flank.  Meanwhile, 
Grant  ordered  a  decisive  attack  in  front  by  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  and  on  the  right  flank  by  the  Army  of  the 
James.  After  four  days  of  severe  fighting,  during  each 
of  which  the  Union  Army  had  gained  ground,  Sheridan 
succeeded  in  carrying  the  left  flank  and  capturing  about 
4,000  prisoners,  and  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  gained 
possession  of  the  rebel  lines  in  front,  and  Petersburg 
was  at  their  mercy.  During  the  night  of  Sunday,  April 
2d,  PETERSBURG  was  evacuated,  and  RICHMOND  also, 
and  both  were  occupied  by  Union  troops  the  next  morn- 
ing, April  3d ;  General  Weitzel,  with  his  corps  of  colored 
troops,  entering  the  latter  city  at  8.15  A.  M.  General 
Lee  fled,  with  his  troops  completely  demoralized,  towards 
Danville,  but  finding  his  route  obstructed,  turned  towards 
Lyuchburg,  and  General  Grant  started  in  immediate  pur- 
suit. At  the  time  of  his  retreat  from  Richmond,  Lee 
had  lost  about  18,000  prisoners,  and  probably  from  8,000 
to  10,000  in  killed  and  wounded,  or  about  one  half  his 
army.  On  the  6th  of  April,  he  had  reached  Deatonville,  a 
point  west  of  Amelia  Court-House,  where  he  was  attacked 


GENERAL    GEANT.  85 

in  the  afternoon  of  that  day  by  General  Sheridan,  with 
his  cavalry  and^  the  Fifth  corps,  and  by  General  Meade, 
with  the  Second  and  Sixth  corps,  and  completely  defeated 
Lieutenant-General  Ewell  and  six  other  generals,  and 
many  thousands  of  his  troops  being  taken  prisoners,  and 
most  of  his  cannon  being  captured.  General  Lee  him- 
self, with  a  small  remnant  of  his  troops,  attempted  to  es- 
cape to  Lynchburg,  but  finding  Hancock  confronting 
him  from  the  Shenandoah  valley,  and  Thomas  from  the 
"West,  while  Sheridan  and  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
were  pressing  upon  his  rear,  he  was  compelled  to  sur- 
render, which  he  did  on  Sunday,  April  9th,  ac- 
cepting the  terms  offered  him  by  General  Grant. 
This  grand  success  was  the  culmination  of  Gen- 
eral Grant's  efforts  for  the  year,  and  the  death-blow  of 
the  Confederacy. 

Meantime,  General  Grant  has  been  directing  import- 
ant movements  in  other  fields.  Under  his  suggestion, 
General  Sherman  has  been  moving  northward  in  two 
columns,  which,  now  united,  have  by  their  flanking 
movement  rendered  Charleston,  so  long  the  opprobrium 
of  our  arms,  worthless  as  a  strategic  point,  and,  without 
striking  a  blow,  has  compelled  its  evacuation ;  captured 
Columbia,  Cheraw,  Fayetteville,  and  in  concert  with 
Schofield,  whose  army  has  joined  his,  occupied  Golds- 
borough  ;  where  he  pauses  only  for  a  final  spring  upon 
Johnston's  daily  weakening  force,  now  almost,  if  not 
quite,  the  only  organized  army  of  the  rebels  ;  while  at 
the  West,  Thomas,  after  sparing  a  portion  of  his  forces 
to  reinforce  the  Eastern  armies,  has  sent  a  large  force 
southward  to  seize  those  vital  points  of  the  rebel 
strength,  Selma  and  Montgomery;  and  with  another 
force  has  entered  West  Virginia,  destroyed  the  Virginia 
and  Tennessee  railroad,  and  is  making  Lynchburg  his 
objective. 


86  OUR   GBEAT   CAPTAINS. 

In  person  General  Grant  is  rather  below  the  middle 
size,  but  of  firm  well-knit  figure,  with  a  pleasant  counte- 
nance, a  firmly-set  mouth  and  chin,  clear  gray  eyes,  brown 
hair,  and  a  full  beard,  inclined  to  auburn.  He  smokes  al- 
most incessantly ;  is  quiet,  reticent,  thoughtful,  yet  quick 
and  prompt  in  action.  There  is  not  a  particle  of  jeal- 
ousy in  his  composition.  He  accords  most  heartily  to 
his  lieutenants  all  the  honors  they  can  claim,  and  even 
turns  honors  meant  for  himself  upon  them.  A  man  of 
less  real  greatness  and  magnanimity,  placed  in  his  position, 
would  have  winced  under  the  encomiums  showered  upon 
Sherman  and  Sheridan,  especially  when  comparisons  not 
in  his  favor  were  drawn,  as  they  have  been ;  but  he  only 
honors  these  brave  generals  the  more.  His  resolute  un- 
yielding determination  and  perseverance  is  a  marked  fea- 
ture of  his  character.  Even  his  wife  says,  "  Mr.  Grant 
is  a  very  obstinate  man,"  though  she  would  not  for  the 
world  have  him  one  whit  less  obstinate.  He  has  never 
yet,  under  any  circumstances,  been  drawn  or  driven  into 
making  a  speech,  and  seldom  writes  a  long  letter,  though 
he  can  write,  as  his  reports  prove,  with  great  force  and 
clearness.  While  some  may  question  his  possession  of 
genius  in  its  highest  sense,  no  one  can  doubt  that 
Lieutenant-General  Grant  is  a  clear-headed,  persistent, 
able  general,  with  a  tact  for  handling  large  bodies  of 
men  effectively,  a  fertility  of  resource,  and  a  practical 
knowledge  of  military  science  which  has  not  been 
equalled  or  surpassed  by  a  half-dozen  men  in  the  last 
three  hundred  years.  He  is  eminently  a  safe  man, 
yet  not  fearful  of  risks  when  they  are  necessary;  a 
man  in  whom  the  people  may  well  confide,  for  his 
sole  ambition  is  to  bring  this  war  to  a  successful  ter- 
mination,—to  become,  by  virtue  of  hard  and  telling 
blows,  an  arbiter  of  peace. 


II. 

Major-General  William  Tecumseh  Sherman, 

IF  it  be  one  of  the  attributes  of  genius  to  rise  superior 
to  the  most  adverse  circumstances,  and  triumphing  over 
detraction,  depreciation,  and  abuse,  to  secure  to  itself  a 
high  place  in  the  records  of  history,  then  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  General  Sherman  has  given  no  doubtful 
proof  of  the  possession  of  a  high  order  of  genius.  The 
sacrifices  which  his  loyalty  had  prompted  him  to  make 
were  not  appreciated  ;  his  warnings  of  the  magnitude  of 
the  Rebellion  fell  on  inattentive  ears,  and  were  regarded 
as  the  apprehensions  of  a  distempered  imagination  ;  his 
estimate  of  the  force  necessary  for  the  successful  prose- 
cution of  the  war  at  the  West,  though  since  proved  to 
have  been  within  the  bounds  of  strict  moderation,  were 
then  considered  as  the  ravings  of  a  melancholic  mad- 
man ;  and  the  press1 — the  great  engine  of  power  in  this 
country — having  been  offended  in  the  person  of  some  of 
its  baser  members,  by  the  strictness  of  General  Sherman's 
discipline,  undertook,  with  full  confidence,  the  work  of 
writing  him  down.  Thenceforward,  for  many  months, 
he  was  persistently  represented  as  the  "  crazy  general," 
"  the  madman,"  the  "  lunatic ;"  as  incapable,  by  reason 
of  his  mad  fantasies,  of  any  successful  military  operation, 
or  of  commanding  any  considerable  body  of  men.  But, 
like  "  Banquo's  ghost,"  Sherman  would  not  stay  down. 
His  zeal,  loyalty,  and  success  constantly  contradicted 
the  misrepresentations  of  his  enemies,  and  the  fiercer 
their  maledictions,  the  more  he  displayed  the  resources 


88  OUE   GEEAT  CAPTAINS. 

and  abilities  of  a  successful  commander.  Through  all 
this  period  of  bitter  misrepresentation,  one  man  defended 
him,  believed  in  him,  trusted  him,  and  insisted  on  his  ad- 
vancement. That  man  was  the  present  Lieutenant-Gen- 
eral U.  S.  Grant.  Never  for  a  moment  did  he  lose  his 
confidence  in  his  abilities  and  genius ;  and,  with  that  fine 
discrimination  of  character  which  is  a  marked  trait  in 
his  character,  he  insisted,  at  every  step  of  promotion 
conferred  upon  himself,  on  advancing  General  Sherman 
also,  let  who  might  oppose.  At  length,  after  more  than 
two  years'  endurance,  the  storm  of  detraction  began  to 
cease,  and  ere  long  those  who  had  been  most  virulent, 
finding  that  they  were  powerless  to  injure  him,  became 
his  most  vehement  admirers,  until  now,  it  would  be  hard 
to  find  any  who  would  acknowledge  that  they  had  ever 
spoken  disparagingly  of  one  who  has  proved  his  claim 
to  be  reckoned  among  the  ablest  generals  of  modern 
times. 

WILLIAM  TECUMSEH  SHERMAN,  a  son  of  the  late  Hon. 
Charles  R.  Sherman,  for  sonre. years  one  of  the  judges 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Ohio,  and  brother  of  Hon. 
John  Sherman,  TJ.  S.  Senator  from  Ohio,  was  born  in 
Lancaster,  Ohio,  February  8th,  1820.  His  education,  up 
to  his  ninth  year,  was  obtained  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  town;  but  on  his  father's  death,  in  1829,  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  family  of  Hon.  Thomas  Ewing, 
and  after  enjoying  the  advantages  of  good  schools,  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  entered  the  Military  Academy  at 
West  Point,  being  a  classmate  of  Generals  George  H. 
Thomas  and  W.  Hays  of  the  Union  army,  and  of  Gen- 
erals -Ewell,  McCown,  and  Bushrod  R.  Johnson  of  the 
rebel  army.  He  graduated  June  30,  1840,  ranking 
sixth  in  his  class,  and  was  immediately  appointed  second 
lieutenant  in  the  Third  Artillery,  and  ordered  to  duty  in 


GENERAL  SHERMAN.  89 

Florida,  where  he  served  through  the  next  year.  In 
November,  1841,  he  was  promoted  to  a  first-lieutenancy. 
His  service  in  Florida  was  enlivened  by  some  encounters 
with  Billy  Bowlegs'  band,  in  one  of  which  he  achieved 
some  distinction  in  rescuing  his  little  squad  of  men  from 
the  utter  destruction  with  which  that  wily  savage  had 
threatened  them.  Late  in  the  year,  Lieutenant  Sherman 
was  ordered  to  Fort  Moultrie,  Charleston  harbor,  where 
he  remained  for  several  years. 

In  1846  he  was  sent  to  California,  where  he  was  made 
acting  assistant  adjutant-general,  and  performed  his 
duties  with  such  marked  ability,  that,  in  1851,  Congress 
conferred  upon  him  the  brevet  of  captain,  to  date  from 
May  30th,  1848,  "for  meritorious  services  in  California, 
during  the  war  with  Mexico."  In  1850  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  captain,  and  made  commissary 
of  subsistence,  being  assigned  to  the  staff  of  the 
commander  of  the  Department  of  the  West,  with  head- 
quarters at  St.  Louis.  He  married,  the  same  year, 
the  daughter  of  his  friend,  Hon.  Thomas  Ewing.  Soon 
after,  he  was  transferred  to  the  military  post  of  New 
Orleans,  where  he  became  acquainted  with  the  leading 
men  of  Louisiana.  In  1853,  he  resigned  his  commission 
in  the  army,  and  -removed  the  same  year  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  was  for  four  years  the  manager  of  the 
banking  house  of  Lucas,  Turner  &  Co. 

In  1857,  some  of  his  friends  in  Louisiana,  secretly,  as 
it  afterwards  appeared,  making  preparation  for  a  seces- 
sion movement,  resolved  to  establish  a  State  Military 
Academy,  and  sought  to  secure  his  services  as  president 
and  superintendent.  Their  real  object  was  carefully  con- 
cealed, and  the  reasons  given  fpr  its  establishment  were, 
that  it  would  enable  them  more  readily  to  suppress  any 
insurrection  among  the  slaves ;  that  it  would  be  of  ser- 


90  OUR  GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

vice  in  preparing  them  to  repel  Indian  incursions,  which 
were  giving  trouble  in  the  adjacent  States  of  Arkansas 
and  Texas ;  that  it  would  give  them  a  nucleus  for  a  mil- 
itary force  in  case  of  an  attack  by  a  foreign  enemy,  or 
should  the  acquisition  of  Mexico  become  desirable.  By 
such  plausible  arguments,  Mr.  Sherman  was  induced  to 
accept  the  presidency  of  the  Louisiana  Military  Academy, 
without  a  suspicion  of  the  treasonable  purpose  which  had 
led  to  its  establishment.  He  entered  upon  his  duties 
early  in  1858. 

Soon  after  the  cpmmencement  of  the  presidential  cam- 
paign of  1860,  he  became  convinced  of  the  disloyal  sen- 
timents of  a  majority  of  the  leading  men  of  the  State, 
and  of  the  motives  which  had  led  them  to  establish  the 
Military  Academy,  and  they  put  forth  their  utmost 
powers  of  persuasion  to  induce  him  to  unite  with  them 
in  their  revolutionary  schemes.  The  thoroughness  with 
which  he  had  trained  his  pupils,  and  his  cool,  calm,  sol- 
dierly bearing,  had  convinced  them  of  his  value  to  their 
cause  if  he  could  once  be  induced  to  join  it.  For  this 
purpose  they  unfolded  their  plans,  and  sought  by  the 
offer  of  high  military  position  to  win  him  from  his  alle- 
giance. It  was  all  in  vain.  Manly,  honest,  straight- 
forward, and  thoroughly  loyal,  neither  the  love  of  gold 
or  fame  could  cause  him  to  swerve  for  an  instant  from 
his  duty*  to  his  country.  Convinced  that  war  was  in- 
evitable, he  dispatched  the  following  letter  to  the  chief 
magistrate  of  Louisiana  on  the  day  of  its  date : 


JANUARY  18, 1861. 
GOVERNOR  THOMAS  0.  MOORE, 

BATON  ROUGE,  LA. 

SIR — As  I  occupy  a  quasi-military   position    under 
this  State,  I  deem  it  proper  to  acquaint  you  that  I  ac- 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  91 

cepted  such  position  when  Louisiana  was  a  State  in  the 
Union,  and  when  the  motto  of  the  seminary  was  inserted 
in  marble  over  the  main  door,  "By  the  liberality  of  the 
General  Government  of  the  United  States.  The  Union, 
JZsto  Perpetual  Recent  events  foreshadow  a  great 
change,  and  it  becomes  all  men  to  choose.  If  Louisiana 
withdraws  from  the  Federal  Union,  I  prefer  to  maintain 
my  allegiance  to  the  old  Constitution  as  long  as  a  frag- 
ment of  it  survives,  and  my  longer  stay  here  would  be 
wrong  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  In  that  event,  I  beg 
you  will  send  or  appoint  some  authorized  agent  to  take 
charge  of  the  arms  and  munitions  of  war  here  belonging 
to  the  State,  or  direct  me  what  disposition  should  be 
made  of  them.  And  furthermore,  as  President  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors,  I  beg  you  to  take  immediate  steps 
to  relieve  me  as  Superintendent,  the  moment  the  State 
determines  to  secede ;  for  on  no  earthly  account  will  I 
do  any  act,  or  think  any  thought,  hostile  to  or  in  de- 
fiance of  the  old  Government  of  the  United  States. 
With  great  respect,  &c., 

(Signed)  W.  T.  SHERMAN. 

There  spoke  the  true  hero  and  patriot,  "  On  no  earthly 
account  will  I  do  any  act,  or  think  any  thought,  hostile 
to  or  in  defiance  of  the  old  Government  of  the  United 
States."  The  same  principle  has  actuated  him  in  all  his 
subsequent  career.  Other  generals,  both  in  the  East 
and  the  West,  have  been  suspected  of  disloyal  leanings ; 
but  even  the  bitterest  detractors  of  General  Sherman 
have  never  dared  to  whisper  the  slightest  hint  of  dis- 
loyalty in  connection  with  his  name. 

His  resignation  was  accepted,  for  what  could  the 
rebels  do  with  a  man  who  was  so  thoroughly  and  deter- 
minedly loyal?  He  removed  in  February  with  his 


92  OUR  GREAT  CAPTAINS. 

family  to  St.  Louis,  and  shortly  before  the  attack  on 
Fort  Sumter  visited  Washington.  Here  he  found,  to 
use  his  own  language,  that  "  the  men  in  authority  were 
sleeping  on  a  volcano,  which  would  surely  burst  upon 
them  unprepared."  Thoroughly  conversant  as  he  was 
with  the  intentions  and  plans  of  the  leaders  of  the  rebel- 
lion, he  was  astonished  at  the  apathy  and  incredulity  of 
the  Government  on  the  subject.  None  of  the  Cabinet 
believed  that  there  was  to  be  any  serious  conflict.  At 
most,  they  thought  it  would  be  an  affair  of  sixty  or 
ninety  days.  Sherman  knew  better,  and  in  the  hope  of 
arousing  the  Government  to  action  before  it  should  be 
too  late,  he  addressed  a  letter  to  General  Cameron,  then 
Secretary  of  War,  in  which  he  forewarned  him  in  the 
most  earnest  language  of  the  imminency  of  war  and  the 
entire  want  of  preparation  for  it.  He  stated  also  that 
he  was  educated  at  the  expense  of  the  United  States, 
and  feeling  that  he  owed  every  thing  to  his  country,  he 
had  come  to  tender  her  his  services  as  a  soldier.  He 
also  waited  upon  the  President,  and,  stating  to  him  his 
views,  tendered  his  services.  The  President  replied, 
laughing,  "  We  shall  not  need  many  men  like  you  ;  the 
whole  affair  will  soon  blow  over."  He  urged,  when  the 
fall  of  Sumter  came,  the  importance  of  a  gigantic  army, 
not  called  out  for  three  months,  but  for  the  war,  to  put 
down  the  rebellion  at  once,  and  denounced  the  calling  out 
of  three  months  men  as  being  as  absurd  as  the  attempt  to 
extinguish  the  flames  of  a  burning  building  with  a  squirt- 
gun.  Neither  the  Government  nor  the  people  were  then 
prepared  to  comprehend  the  justice  and  clearness  of  his 
views,  and  he  passed  for  an  ultraist.  At  the  organization 
of  the  new  regiments  of  the  regular  army  in  June,  1861, 
he  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  new  13th  infantry,  his 
commission  dating  from  May  14,  1861. 


GENERAL   SHERMAN".  93 

His  first  actual  service  in  the  war  was  at  the  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  or  Manassas,  as  the  rebels  named  it.  Colonel 
Sherman  commanded  the  third  brigade  in  the  First 
(Tyler's)  division.  That  brigade  consisted  of  the  13th, 
69th,  and  79th  New  York,  and  the  2d  Wisconsin  in- 
fantry regiments,  and  Ayres'  regular  battery — all  troops 
since  renowned  for  their  gallantry.  There  have  been 
many  conflicting  statements  and  opinions  in  regard  to 
this  battle,  but  the  best  military  authorities  seem  to  have 
settled  the  point  that  the  fighting  of  that  day  was  not 
discreditable  to  either  army,  composed  as  both  were  of 
raw  troops.  It  is  evident  from  the  reports  of  the  rebel 
commanders  that  they  themselves  regarded  the  day  as 
lost,  till  the  unexpected  arrival  of  Johnston's  troops 
turned  the  scale,  and  communicating  a  sudden  panic  to 
the  Union  troops,  who  had  previously  fought  well,  led 
to  that  disgraceful  rout  which  has  made  that  day  in- 
famous. But  whatever  may  be  thought  or  said  of  the 
fighting  of  other  portions  of  the  army,  there  is  abundant 
evidence  that  Sherman's  brigade  fought  with  desperate 
and  determined  valor.  "  A  part  of  Hunter's  and  Heint- 
zelman's  divisions,"  says  Major-General  McDowell  in  his 
report,  "forced  the  enemy  back  far  enough  to  allow 
Sherman's  and  Reyes's  brigades  of  Tyler's  division  to 
cross  from  -their  positions  on  the  Warrenton  road.  These 
drove  the  right  of  the  enemy,  understood  to  have  been 
commanded  by  Beauregard,  from  the  front  of  the  field, 
and  out  of  the  detached  woods,  and  down  the  road,  and 
across  it,  up  the  slopes  on  the  other  side."  They  did 
more  than  this :  pressing  forward,  they  came  upon  an 
elevated  ridge  or  plateau,  where  occurred  the  severest 
fighting  of  the  day.  Sherman  led  his  brigade  directly 
up  the  Warrenton  road,  and  held  his  ground  till  the 
general  order  came  to  retreat.  Colonel  Bowman,  in  a 


94:  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

biographical  sketch  of  General  Sherman  in  the  "TJ.  S. 
Service  Magazine,"  mentions  an  incident  connected 
with  this  battle  which  we  have  not  seen  elsewhere.  It 
was  as  follows.  The  order  given  to  Tyler's  division  was 
to  cross  Bull  Run  when  possible,  and  join  Hunter  on  the 
right.  In  obeying  this  order,  Sherman  led  off,  with  the 
69th  New  York  in  advance.  On  their  march  they  en- 
countered a  party  of  the  enemy  retreating  along  a  clus- 
ter of  pines;  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Haggerty,  then  in 
command  of  the  69th,  rode  over,  without  orders,  to  inter- 
cept their  retreat,  and  was  instantly  killed  by  the  enemy's 
fire.  Haggerty  was  much  beloved  by  his  men,  and  they, 
furious  at  his  loss,  sprang  forward  and  opened  fire,  which 
was  returned.  "  But,"  says  Colonel  Sherman,  "  deter- 
mined to  effect  our  junction  with  Hunter's  division,  I 
ordered  the  fire  to  cease,  and  we  proceeded  with  caution 
towards  the  field,  where  we  then  plainly  saw  our  forces 
engaged."  Burnside,  then  a  colonel  commanding  one 
of  the  brigades  in  Hunter's  division,  was  at  this  time 
sorely  pressed  and  nearly  overwhelmed  by  the  enemy 
and  was  only  relieved  by  the  timely  advent  of  Sherman's 
brigade,  which  under  his  orders  turned  not  aside  either 
to  the  right  hand  or  the  left,  till  the  orders  it  had  re- 
ceived were  obeyed.  "  It  was  Sherman's  brigade,"  says 
Burnside,  "  that  arrived  about  twelve-and-a-half  o'clock, 
and  by  a  most  deadly  fire  assisted  in  breaking  the  enemy's 
lines."  The  promptness  and  strict  obedience  to  orders 
which  characterized  Sherman's  conduct  on  that  day  have 
been  marked  traits  in  his  subsequent  career. 

The  vigor  and  determination  with  which  Colonel 
Sherman  fought  his  brigade  on  this  occasion,  made  their 
share  of  the  losses  much  heavier  than  those  of  any  other 
brigade  in  the  Union  army;  his  total  of  killed,  wounded, 
and  missing,  being  six  hundred  and  nine,  while  that  of 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  95 

the  whole  division  was  but  eight  hundred  and  fifty-nine, 
and  of  the  entire  army,  aside  from  prisoners  and  strag- 
lers,  but  fifteen  hundred  and  ninety.  The  flight  of  the 
panic-stricken  fugitives  towards  Washington  disgusted 
Colonel  Sherman,  and  he  was  very  severe  in  his  denunci- 
*  ations  of  the  militia  officers,  especially  those  in  his  own 
command,  for  their  part  in  the  panic.  Conscious  of  their 
misconduct,  some  of  these  officers  resented  his  rebukes, 
and  sought  to  injure  his  reputation.  The  Ohio  delega- 
tion in  Congress  having  learned  the  good  conduct  and 
valor  of  Colonel  Sherman,  urged  his  promotion,  and  on 
the  3d  of  August  he  was  confirmed  a  brigadier-general 
of  volunteers,  his  commission  dating  from  May  17th, 
1861. 

Early  in  August,  General  Anderson  having  been  as- 
signed to  the  command  of  the  department  of  the  Ohio, 
General  Sherman  was  made  second  in  command,  and 
sent  soon  afterwards  with  a  force  of  seven  thousand  men, 
composed  of  volunteers  and  Kentucky  home-guards,  to 
occupy  Muldraugh's  hill,  a  point  of  considerable  strategic 
importance,  south  of  the  Rolling  fork  of  Salt  river.  The 
home-guards  which  there,  as  elsewhere,  proved  entirely 
unreliable,  soon  abandoned  his  camp  for  their  homes,  and 
the  reinforcements  intended  to  strengthen  his  command 
were  sent  elsewhere.  He  now  found  himself  with  only 
five  thousand  troops,  badly  armed,  and  in  an  unfriendly 
region,  confronted  by  the  rebel  General  Buckner  with  a 
rebel  force  of  twenty-five  thousand  men.  While  affairs 
were  in  this  discouraging  condition,  General  Anderson's 
health  failed  so  completely,  that  he  resigned,  and,  on  the 
8th  of  October,  General  Sherman  was  appointed  his  suc- 
cessor. 

In  no  part  of  the  c6untry,  and  at  no  time  during  the 
war,  were  the  prospects  more  gloomy  than  in  the  depart- 


96  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

ment  of  the  Ohio  at  this  period.  The  greater  part  of 
the  population  of  Kentucky  capable  of  bearing  arms  had 
joined  the  rebel  army.  Those  who  remained  behind 
were  divided  in  sentiment,  but  most  of  them,  from  one 
cause  or  another,  unfriendly.  The  force  at  Sherman's 
command  was  wholly  inadequate,  and  what  he  had  were1* 
poorly  armed.  He  was  deficient  also  in  munitions  of 
war,  and  in  the  means  of  transportation,  while  in  his 
front  were  rebel  forces  outnumbering  his  own  at  almost 
every  point,  well  supplied  and  confident  of  success.  If 
the  rebel  generals  had  known  his  actual  condition,  they 
could  have  captured  or  driven  his  forces  across  the  Ohio 
in  ten  days.  There  were  in  his  camps  numerous  news- 
paper letter-writers,  who,  if  loyal,  were  far  from  being 
discreet,  and  whose  communications  made  public  the  very 
facts  which  it  was  all-important  to  conceal  from  the 
enemy.  These  he  excluded  from  his  lines  by  a  strin- 
gent general  order,  and  thus  brought  down  upon  his  head 
all  the  indignation  of  the  press. 

But  a  greater  cause  of  alarm  arose  from  the  fact  that 
the  Secretary  of  War,  General  Cameron,  utterly  failed 
to  comprehend  the  necessities  of  his  position,  or  the  im- 
portance of  holding  it.  No  one  doubts  the  loyalty  of 
General  Cameron,  but  there  can  be  no  question  that  his 
failure  to  comprehend  the  magnitude  of  the  contest,  and 
the  necessity  of  having  a  large  and  well-appointed  army 
promptly  on  the  ground,  to  meet  and  crush  out  the  re- 
bellion during  its  first  year,  was  the  means  of  protract- 
ing it  through  the  years  which  followed.  In  the  end, 
the  result  may  be  better  for  the  nation,  but  it  reflects, 
nevertheless,  on  the  incapacity  of  the  secretary. 

General  Sherman  had  an  interview  with  Secretary 
Cameron,  at  Lexington,  Kentucky,  in  October,  in  pres- 
ence of  Adjutant-General  Thomas.  In  this  interview,  he 


GENERAL  SHEKMAN.  97 

explained  to  the  Secretary  the  critical  situation  of  his 
command,  and  the  numbers  and  condition  of  the  enemy's 
troops,  and  to  the  question  what  force  was  necessary  for 
a  forward  movement  in  his  department,  which  then  in- 
cluded all  east  of  the  Mississippi  and  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies,  he  replied  promptly,  "Two 'hundred  thousand 
men."  "  The  answer,"  says  Colonel  Bowman,  "  was  the 
inspiration  or  the  judgment  of  a  military  genius,  but  to 
the  mind  of  Mr.  Secretary  Cameron,  it  was  the  prophecy 
of  a  false  wizard,"  or,  we  may  add,  the  raving  of  a 
maniac.  The  secretary  and  the  adjutant-general  at 
once  pronounced  Sherman  crazy,  and  made  themselves 
merry  over  his  extravagant  demands,  which  the  adjutant- 
general  was  so  indiscreet  as  to  repeat  and  allow  to  find 
its  way  into  print,  together  with  the  details  of  the 
strength  of  Sherman's  position,  thus  informing  the  enemy 
of  the  weakness  of  his  lines. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  General  Sherman  telegraphed 
to  General  McClellan,  then  general-in-chief,  detailing  the 
position  and  number  of  his  several  forces,  showing  that 
everywhere,  except  at  a  single  point,  they  were  outnum- 
bered, and  concluded  his  dispatch  with  the  remark,  "  Our 
forces  are  too  small  to  do  any  good,  and  too  large  to  be 
sacrificed."  In  reply,  General  McClellan  inquired,  "  How 
long  could  McCook  (one  of  Sherman's  generals)  keep 
Buckner  out  of  Louisville,  holding  the  railroad,  with 
power  to  destroy  it  inch  by  inch  ?"  Here  was  no  hint 
of  any  intention  of  sending  reinforcements,  but  a  proba- 
ble purpose  of  abandoning  Kentucky.  Sherman,  with 
that  sensitiveness  which  is  peculiarly  the  attribute  of  a 
gallant  soldier,  felt  that  he  had  incurred  the  displeasure 
of  the  War  Department  by  his  frankness  and  his  estimate 
of  the  power  and  capacity  of  the  enemy,  and  that,  under 
the  circumstances,  he  could  not  conduct  the  campaign 

9 


98  OUR    GREAT    CAPTAINS. 

successfully ;  he  therefore  asked  to  be  relieved,  and  was 
succeeded  by  General  Buell,  who  was  at  once  reinforced 
and  enabled  to  hold  his  defensive  position  till  Grant  was 
ready  to  move  in  the  spring. 

Meantime,  the  press  had  revenged  itself  upon  Sher- 
man by  pronouncing  him  crazy,  and  he  was  shelved  by 
being  put  in  command  cf  Benton  barracks,  near  St. 
Louis.  Not  long  after,  General  Halleck  succeeded 
General  Fremont  in  command  of  the  Western  Depart- 
ment, and  he  was  too  good  a  judge  of  character  to  allow 
a  man  of  General  Sherman's  abilities  to  be  detained  as 
the  commandant  of  recruiting  barracks.  He  was  accord- 
ingly detailed  to  forward  reinforcements  and  supplies 
from  Paducah  to  General  Grant,  then  engaged  in  the 
siege  of  Fort  Dorielson,  and  after  the  capture  of  that 
stronghold,  he  was  put  in  command  of  the  Fifth  division 
of  Grant's  army,  and  with  it  went  into  camp  at  Pitts- 
burg  Landing.  The  Fifth  division  was  composed  almost 
wholly  of  raw  troops,  who  had  never  been  under  fire. 
In  the  short  period  which  elapsed  before  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  the  men  were  drilled  and  trained  as  well  as  time 
would  permit,  but  they  were  still  but  indifferently  pre- 
pared for  the  fierce  battle  which  was  so  soon  to  come. 

When  the  battle  of  Shiloh  commenced,  April  6th, 
1862,  General  Sherman  had  just  taken  his  position  at 
Shiloh  church,  three  miles  out  from  the  landing,  on  the 
main  road  to  Corinth.  He  was  strongly  and  advanta- 
geously posted.  His  first  line  of  battle  was  formed  on 
the  brow  of  a  hill,  or  rather  a  ridge,  on  the  west  of  Lick 
and  Owl  creeks,  which  served  as  a  natural  fortification. 
The  men,  by  lying  down  or  falling  back  a  few  steps, 
were  well  covered;  and  by  rising  and  advancing  a  few 
paces  could  deliver  their  fire  with  terrible  effect.  The 
rebel  commanders  soon  appreciated  the  fact  that  this 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  99 

position  must  be  carried  at  all  hazards  if  they  would  win 
the  day.  Hence  their  assaults  upon  it  were  well-directed, 
rapid,  and  persistent.  A  part  of  Sherman's  regiments 
were  panic-stricken,  broke,  and  fled ;  but  this  he  had 
expected  and  was  not  disconcerted  by  it,  and  rallying 
the  remainder,  he  fought  the  enemy  undismayed  through 
the  day,  and  at  4  p.  M.,  deliberately  made  a  new  line 
behind  McArthur's  drill-field,  placing  batteries  on  chosen 
ground,  where  he  could  protect  a  bridge  which  it  was 
necessary  for  General  Lew.  Wallace's  division,  then  every 
moment  expected,  to  cross,  and  here  repelled  the  assaults 
of  the  enemy  and  drove  them  back.  General  Grant 
visited  him  twice  that  day,  approved  of  his  movements, 
and  directed  him  to  assume  the  offensive  at  daylight  the 
next  day.  He  did  so,  and  after  some  severe  fighting, 
the  rebels  were  compelled  to  retreat.  On  the  morning 
of  the  8th  of  April,  he  made  a  reconnoissance  with  his 
division  along  the  Corinth  road,  met  and  drove  from 
their  position  a  considerable  force  of  rebel  cavalry,  and 
captured  a  number  of  prisoners,  and  large  quantities  of 
arms,  ammunition,  &c.  But  it  was  not  merely  by  his  ad- 
mirable management  of  his  division  that  he  saved  the 
day.  Colonel  Bowman  well  says  of  his  conduct  in  that 
battle,  "  There  was  not  a  commanding  general  on  the 
field  who  did  not  rely  on  Sherman,  and  look  to  him  as 
our  chief  hope ;  and  there  is  no  question  that  but  for 
him  our  army  would  have  been  destroyed.  He  rode 
from  place  to  place,  directing  his  men  ;  he  selected  from 
time  to  time  the  positions  for  his  artillery ;  he  dismounted 
and  managed  the  guns ;  he  sent  suggestions  to  com- 
manders of  divisions ;  he  inspired  everybody  with  confi- 
dence ;  and  yet  it  never  occurred  to  him  that  he  had  ac- 
complished any  thing  worthy  of  remark." 

General  Nelson,  himself  a  division  commander  in  that 


100  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

battle,  said,  "  During  eight  hours,  the  fate  of  the  army 
on  the  field  of  Shiloh  depended  upon  the  life  of  one  man  ; 
if  General  Sherman  had  fallen,  the  army  would  have 
been  captured  or  destroyed."  General  Halleck,  who  ar- 
rived on  the  field  two  or  three  days  after  the  battle, 
said,  in  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  "It  is  the 
unanimous  opinion  here  that  Brigadier-General  Sherman 
saved  the  fortunes  of  the  day ;  he  was  in  the  thickest  of 
the  fight,  had  three  horsey  killed  under  him,  and  was 
twice  wounded." 

General  Grant,  in  his  report  of  April  9th,  1862,  speaks 
of  his  services  as  follows  :  "I  feel  it  a  duty,  however,  to 
a  gallant  and  able  officer,  Brigadier-General  W.  T. 
Sherman,  to  make  a  special  mention  of  his  services.  He 
not  only  was  with  his  command  during  the  entire  two 
days  of  the  action,  but  displayed  great  judgment  and 
skill  in  the  management  of  his  men.  Although  severely 
wounded  in  the  hand  on  the  first  day,  his  place  was 
never  vacant.  He  was  again  wounded,  and  had  three 
horses  killed  under  him."  Again,  after  the  capture  of 
Vicksburg,  under  date  of  July  26,  1863,  General  Grant 
wrote  to  the  War  Department,  of  General  Sherman : 
"  At  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  on  the  first  day,  he  held,  with 
raw  troops,  the  key-point  of  the  landing.  It  is  no  dis- 
paragement to  any  other  officer  to  say,  that  I  do  not  be- 
lieve there  was  another  division-commander  on  the  field 
who  bad  the  skill  and  experience  to  have  done  it.  To 
his  individual  efforts  I  am  indebted  for  the  success  of 
that  battle." 

A  cavalry  officer,  who  was  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh, 
gives  some  interesting  incidents  of  his  bearing  on  that 
day,  in  a  communication  quoted  by  Colonel  Bowman. 
"Having,"  he  says,  " occasion  to  report  personally  to 
General  Sherman,  about  noon  of  the  first  day  at  Shiloh, 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  •  101 

I  found  him  dismounted,  his  arm  in  a  sling,  his  hand 
bleeding,  his  horse  dead,  himself  covered  with  dust,  his 
face  besmeared  with  powder  and  blood.  He  was  giving 
directions  at  the  moment  to  Major  Taylor,  his  chief  of 
artillery,  who  had  just  brought  a  battery  into  position. 
Mounted  orderlies  were  coming  and  going  in  haste; 
staff  officers  were  making  anxious  inquiries ;  everybody 
but  himself  seemed  excited.  The  battle  was  raging 
terrifically  in  every  direction.  Just  then  there  seemed 
to  be  unusual  commotion  on  our  right,  where  it  was  ob- 
served our  men  were  giving  back.  '  I  was  looking  for 
that,'  said  Sherman ;  '  but  I  am  ready  for  them.'  His 
quick,  sharp  eyes  flashed,  and  his  war-begrimed  face 
beamed  with  satisfaction.  The  enemy's  packed  columns 
now  made  their  appearance,  and  as  quickly  the  guns 
which  Sherman  had  so  carefully  placed  in  position  began 
to  speak.  The  deadly  effect  on  the  enemy  was  apparent. 
While  Sherman  was  still  managing  the  artillery,  Major 
Sanger,  a  staff-officer,  called  his  attention  to  the  fact  that 
the  enemy's  cavalry  were  charging  towards  the  battery. 
'  Order  up  those  two  companies  of  infantry,'  was  the 
quick  reply ;  and  the  general  coolly  went  on  with  his 
guns.  The  cavalry  made  a  gallant  charge,  but  their 
horses  carried  back  empty  saddles.  The  enemy  was 
evidently  foiled.  Our  men,  gaining  fresh  courage,  ral- 
lied again,  and  for  the  first  time  that  day,  the  enemy 
was  held  stubbornly  in  check.  A  moment  more,  and  he 
fell  back  over  the  piles  of  his  dead  and  wounded." 

During  the  advance  upon  Corinth  which  followed  the 
battle  of  Shiloh,  Sherman's  division  was  continually  in 
the  lead,  and  carried,  occupied,  and  reintrenched  seven 
distinct  rebel  camps.  On  the  30th  of  May,  1862,  Beau 
regard  retreated  from  Corinth,  and  it  was  occupied  the 
same  day  by  Sherman's  division.  "His  services  as 

9* 


102  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

division  commander  in  the  advance  on  Corinth,"  writes 
General  Grant,  "  I  will  venture  to  say,  were  appreciated 
by  the  now  general-in-chief  (General  Halleck)  beyond 
those  of  any  other  division  commander."  *At  the  earnest 
request  of  Generals  Halleck  and  Grant,  General  Sherman 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major-general  of  Volun- 
teers, to  date  from  May  1st,  1862. 

On  the  20th  of  June  he  advanced  from  Corinth  and 
captured  the  important  post  of  Holly  Springs,  -  Missis- 
sippi, thoroughly  destroying  trestle-bridges  and  track  on 
the  Mississippi  Central  railroad,  so  as  to  prevent  any 
sudden  approach  of  the  enemy. 

Memphis,  which  had  surrendered  to  our  naval  forces 
in  the  spring  of  1862,  and  was  now  in  General  Grant's 
department,  was  in  a  sad  condition.  Around  it,  in  all 
directions,  a  guerilla  warfare  raged  furiously,  and  the 
city  itself  had  become  so  thoroughly  interested  in  the 
contraband  trade  with  rebels,  that  a  prominent  rebel 
officer  avowed  his  belief  that  it  was  more  valuable  to 
them  in  the  hands  of  the  Federal  Government  than  be- 
fore its  capture.  General  Grant  had  no  intention  of  al- 
lowing this  state  of  things  to  continue,  and  knowing 
General  Sherman's  hearty  loyalty  and  decision  of  char- 
acter, he  appointed  him  to  the  command  of  the  district 
of  -Memphis,  with  an  injunction  to  suppress  both  the 
guerillas  and  the  contraband  trade.  This  was  accom- 
jplished  within  the  next  six  months  so  thoroughly,  that 
for  many  months  subsequent,  the  place  bore  a  high 
character  for  loyalty,  and  the  guerrillas  confined  their 
raids  to  regions  where  they  were  in  less  danger  of  losing 
their  lives. 

In  December,  1862,  General  Grant  made  the  first 
movements  in  his  operations  against  Vicksburg.  His 
first  step  was  to  appoint  General  Sherman  to  the  com- 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  103 

mand  of  the  Fifteenth  army  corps,  and  to  direct  him  to 
make  some  reconnoissances  near  Tallahatchie  river.. 
These  completed,  he  unfolded  to  him  his  plan  for  the 
capture  of  Vfcksburg.  Sherman,  at  the  head  of  four 
picked  divisions,  was  to  embark  at  Memphis,  on  the  20th 
of  December,  and  rendezvous  at  Friar's  point,  and  from 
thence  move  directly  on  Vicksburg,  and  attack  it ;  while 
Grant  himself,  with  a  large  force,  was  to  proceed  down 
the  Mississippi  Central  railroad  to  Jackson,  Mississippi, 
and  hold  and  engage  the  enemy's  forces  there,  and,  these 
defeated,  move  to  the  rear  of  Vicksburg.  Holly  Springs, 
on  the  Mississippi  Central,  was  to  be  his  depot  of  sup- 
plies, and  he  had  already  accumulated  there  the  stores 
necessary  for  the  expedition.  Sherman  started  promptly 
on  the  20th,*  but  on  the  same  day  Holly  Springs  was 
attacked  by  the  enemy  under  Van  Dorn,  and  disgrace- 
fully surrendered,  and  its  stores  destroyed.  General 
Grant,  who  was  below  Holly  Springs  at  the  time,  was 


*  Sherman's  general  order  on  setting  out  with  this  expedition 
is  a  remarkable  document.  Then,  as  always,  he  was  opposed  to 
all  military  trading  expeditions,  and  to  permitting  a  motley  and 
irresponsible  herd  of  camp-followers  to  accompany  and  betray  the 
purposes  and  numbers  of  the  expedition.  The  order  was  as  fol- 
lows :  "  The  expedition  now  fitting  out  is  purely  of  a  military 
character,  and  the  interests  involved  are  of  too  important  a  nature 
to  be  mixed  up  with  personal  and  private  business.  No  citizen, 
male  or  female,  will  be  allowed  to  accompany  it,  unless  employed 
as  part  of  a  crew,  or  as  servants  to  the  transports.  No  person 
whatever — citizen,  officer,  or  sutler — will,  on  any  consideration, 
buy  or  deal  in  cotton,  or  other  produce  of  the  country.  The  trade 
in  cotton  must  wait  a  more  peaceful  state  of  affairs.  Any  person 
whatever,  making  reports  for  publication,  which  might  reach  and 
inform,  aid,  or  comfort  the  enemy,  should  be  treated  as  a  spy.  A 
citizen  following  the  expedition  in  defiance  of  the  above  orders, 
should  be  conscripted,  or  made  a  deck-hand  on  the  transports." 


104  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

compelled  to  return  towards  Memphis,  and  accumulate 
n.e\v  supplies  before  he  could  move  forward,  and  at  the 
same  time  was  unable  to  communicate  with  Sherman. 

Unaware  of  this  failure,  Sherman  pressed  on,  and  dis- 
embarkina:  on  the  26th  and  27th  of  December  near  the 

O 

mouth  of  the  Yazoo,  ordered  a  general  advance  at  once 
upon  the  city,  and  before  night  drove  the  enemy  from 
his  outer  lines.  On  the  28th  and  29th  the  assault  was 
renewed,  and  on  the  latter  day  a  series  of  brilliant 
charges  were  made  with  the  utmost  fury.  There  have 
been  few  instances  of  as  desperate  fighting  during  the 
war.  "Blair's  brigade  in  the  advance,  emerging  from 
the  cover  of  a  cypress  forest,  came  upon  an  intricate 
abatis  of  young  trees  felled  about  three  feet  above  the 
ground,  with  the  tops  left  interlacing  in  confusion.  Be- 
yond the  abatis  was  a  deep  ditch  with  a  quicksand  at 
the  bottom,  and  several  feet  of  water  on  the  sand.  Be- 
yond the  ditch  was  a  more  impenetrable  abatis  of  heavy 
timber.  All  this  was  swept  by  a  murderous  fire  from 
the  enemy's  artillery.  Yet  through  and  over  it  all  the 
brigade  gallantly  charged,  and  drove  the  enemy  from 
his  rifle-pits,  at  the  base  of  the  centre  hill,  on  which  the 
city  lay.  Other  brigades  came  up  in  support,  and  the 
second  line  was  carried  ;  and  still  up  the  hill  pressed  the 
heroic  advance.  But  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  city  was 
impregnable  to  so  small  a  force,  and  reluctantly  the 
storming  party  yielded  up  their  hardly  earned  conquests, 
Blair's  brigade  losing  one  third  of  its  men  in  the  daring 
assault.  Under  a  flag  of  truce,  Sherman  buried  his  dead 
and  cared  for  his  wounded,  and  then  promptly  re-em- 
barked. At  this  juncture  General  McClernand  arrived, 
and  assumed  command  by  virtue  of  his  priority  of  com- 
mission. Sherman  at  once  announced  the  fact  to  his 
"  right  wing  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,"  praising 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  105 

their  zeal,  alacrity,  and  courage,  and  adding,  "  Ours  was 
but  part  of  a  combined  movement,  in  which  others  were 
to  assist.  We  were  in  time  ;  unforeseen  contingencies 
must  have  delayed  the  others.  We  have  destroyed  the 
Shreveport  road  ;  we  have  attacked  the  defences  of 
Vicksburg,  and  pushed  the  attack  as  far  as  prudence 
would  justify ;  and  having  found  it  too  strong  for  our 
single  column,  we  have  drawn  off  in  good  order  and  in 
good  spirits,  ready  for  any  new  move.  A  new  com- 
mander is  now  here  to  lead  you.  I  know  that  all  good 
officers  and  soldiers  will  give  him  the  same  hearty  sup- 
port and  cheerful  obedience  they  have  hitherto  given 
me.  There  are  honors  enough  in  reserve  for  all,  and 
work  enough,  too." 

The  patriotism  and  manliness  of  this  order  will  be 
more  evident  if  we  bear  in  mind  that  General  Sherman 
had  just  suffered  the  mortification  of  a  repulse  for  which 
he  was  in  no  sense  blameworthy,  the  reasons  which  had 
compelled  General  Grant  to  fail  in  his  part  of  the  attack 
being  unknown  to  General  Sherman  ;  and  that  the  subor-: 
dinate  officers  not  cognizant  of  all  the  facts,  and  the 
newspaper  correspondents  who  had  an  old  grudge  to 
revenge,  were  heaping  undeserved  reproach  upon  him. 
There  was,  beside  this,  the  mortification  of  being  re- 
quired to  yield  his  command  to  a  man  like  General 
McClernand,  a  civilian  general,  overbearing,  ambitious, 
and  conceited,  who  never  scrupled  in  the  endeavor  to 
exalt  his  own  reputation  on  the  misfortune  of  others,  or 
to  avail  himself  of  their  plans  without  ascribing  to  them 
any  portion  of  the  credit.  Yet  Sherman  acquiesced 
gracefully  and  with  true  patriotism  in  the  change,  and 
in  handing  over  the  command  to  McClernand,  sought  to 
transfer  to  him  also  the  affection  and  good-will  of  his 
officers  and  men. 


106  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

But  time  makes  all  things  even.  This  attack  on 
Chickasaw  bluffs,  for  which  Sherman  was  denounced  in 
the  most  violent  and  unmeasured  terms  by  the  Western 
papers,  was  subsequently  fully  justified  and  approved  by 
General  Grant  in  his  report  to  the  War  Department,  in 
which  he  says :  "  General  Sherman's  arrangement  as 
commander  of  troops,  in  the  attack  on  Chickasaw  bluffs, 
last  December,  was  admirable  ;  seeing  the  ground  from 
the  opposite  side  from  the  attack,  afterwards,  I  saw  the 
impossibility  of  making  it  successful." 

The  troops  which  embarked  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Yazoo,  under  the  command  of  General  McClernand, 
Consisted  of  part  of  two  army  corps,  the  Fifteenth,  of 
which  Sherman  still  retained  the  command,  and  the 
Thirteenth,  which  was  properly  McClernand's.  They 
proceeded  at  once  to  Arkansas  Post,  and,  following  out 
a  plan  proposed  by  Sherman  before  the  attack  on  Chick- 
asaw bluffs,  carried  the  position,  capturing  seven  thousand 
prisoners,  several  cannon,  and  a  large  quantity  of  supplies. 

In  the  subsequent  operations  of  General  Grant  for  the 
reduction  of  the  rebel  stronghold  of  Vicksburg,  General 
Sherman  bore  a  distinguished  part.  His  first  achieve- 
ment was  the  relief  of  Admiral  Porter's  fleet  of  gunboats 
on  the  Sunflower  river.  It  had  been  a  favorite  plan  with 
General  Grant  to  reach  the  Yazoo  river  with  gunboats, 
from  some  point  above  Vicksburg,  and  descending  it  to 
Haines'  bluff,  make  an  assault  from  that  point  upon  the 
city,  which  he  believed  would  result  in  its  capture.  The 
attempt  had  been  made  through  the  Yazoo  pass,  but  had 
failed.  Admiral  Porter,  who  was  co-operating  with  Gen- 
eral Grant,  thought  he  had  discovered  another  route 
which  promised  better  success,  through  the  interlacing 
streams  which  irrigate  the  tract  between  the  Mississippi 
and  the  Yazoo.  He  asked  the  co-operation  of  a  skilful 


GENERAL    SHERMAN.  107 

and  resolute  land  force ;  and  General  Grant  detailed 
General  Sherman,  with  one  division  of  his  Fifteenth  army 
corps.  The  gunboats  pushed  on  through  Steel e's  and 
Black's  bayous,  into  Deer  creek  and  Rolling  fork,  an 
affluent  of  Sunflower  river,  which  is  itself  a  tributaiy  of 
the  Yazoo,  while  the  troops,  following  a  more  circuitous 
route,  were  necessarily  a  day  or  two  in  the  rear.  On 
the  21st  of  March,  the  admiral  having  entered  the  Sun- 
flower river,  found  it  full  of  obstructions,  with  formidable 
batteries  ahead,  the  enemy  in  heavy  force,  with  artillery 
in  front  and  on  both  flanks,  and  the  stream  too  narrow 
to  manoeuvre  successfully.  Fearing  that  the  enemy 
might  blockade  his  rear  by  felling  obstructions,  he  sent  a 
pressing  message  to  Sherman,  then  many  miles  distant, 
to  come  immediately  to  his  relief,  and  awaited  his  coming 
with  the  deepest  anxiety,  the  enemy  meantime  endeavor- 
ing to  pass  him  on  one  or  the  other  flank.  Sherman  re- 
ceived his  message  at  seven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the 
22d,  and  started  instantly  with  rather  more  than  a  brigade, 
in  a  forced  march  over  the  most  intolerable  roads,  to  re- 
lieve him.  He  pushed  on  with  the  utmost  speed ;  but 
while  yet  several  miles  distant,  a  part  of  the  rebel  force 
attempted  to  push  across  his  flank,  in  order  to  reach  the 
boats  first,  and  as  they  came  in  sight,  the  gunboats 
opened  fire  on  them.  At  the  sound  of  the  cannon, 
Sherman,  with  his  little  band,  struck  out  in  a  straight 
line  for  the  point  whence  the  firing  proceeded,  and  by 
the  greatest  urgency  brought  his  men  through  in  about 
an  hour,  and  flung  his  force  upon  the  rebels,  who,  aston- 
ished at  his  appearance,  fled  instantly.  Another  hour, 
and  the  gunboats  would  have  been  lost  inevitably.  As 
it  was,  it  required  the  utmost  skill  and  generalship  on 
the  part  of  both  commanders  to  force  their  way  back, 
with  the  goal  unattained. 


108  OUE   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

When  General  Grant  determined  to  attack  Vicks- 
burg  from  below,  by  moving  his  force  down  the  west 
side  of  the  Mississippi,  landing  at  Grand  Gulf,  or  below, 
and  marching  first  eastward  to  Jackson,  he  confided  his 
plan  to  General  Sherman,  and  required  of  him  a  move- 
ment, by  way  of  feint,  involving  some  danger  and  re- 
quiring a  high  degree  of  military  tact.  The  Thirteenth 
and  Seventeenth  corps  (McClernand's  and  McPherson's) 
were  put  at  once  upon  the  line  of  march,  over  that  weari- 
some slouch  of  mud  between  Milliken's  bend  and  Hard 

O 

Times,  Louisiana ;  but  Sherman's  corps  was  ordered  to 
remain  at  Milliken's  bend,  and  keep  up  the  semblance  of 
siege  of  the  city  from  that  position ;  and  when  Grant 
was  ready  to  land  his  troops  at  Bruinsburg,  he  sent  a 
disp'atch  to  Sherman,  who  thereupon  embarked  his  troops 
on  transports,  and  moving  directly  on  Haines'  bluif, 
landed,  and,  with  the  co-operation  of  the  gunboats,  pre- 
pared to  assault.  The  gunboats  maintained  a  terrible 
fire  for  four  hours  to  cover  their  landing.  These  demon- 
strations were  continued  for  two  days  with  great  success. 
The  enemy  regarding  it  as  a  bona  fide  attack,  concen- 
trated almost  their  entire  force  at  Haines'  bluff,  and 
General  Grant  was  thus  enabled  to  land  his  troops  without 
opposition,  and  to  proceed  towards  Port  Gibson  without 
encountering  any  very  large  force.  This  accomplished, 
General  Sherman  made  a  forced  march  of  over  sixty 
miles  of  terrible  roads  in  six  days,  and  joined  General 
Grant  at  Grand  Gulf  on  the  6th  of  May.  The  next  day 
the  whole  army  advanced,  and  on  the  12th  Sherman's 
and  McClernand's  corps  had  some  skirmishing  at  Four- 
teen Mile  creek,  while  McPherson  fought  a  sharp  but 
successful  battle  at  Raymond.  Generals  Sherman  and 
McPherson  then  marched  by  different  routes  towards 
Jackson,  and  while  Sherman  approached  and  at- 


GENERAL    SHERMAN.  109 

tacked  on  the  south  side,  McPherson  assailed  it  on  the 
north.  Johnston,  the  rebel  general,  planted  artillery, 
and  stationed  a  small  infantry  force  under  cover  in  front 
of  Sherman,  but  massed  his  troops  against  McPherson. 
This  ruse  General  Sherman  promptly  detected,  and  send- 
ing a  reconnoitering  party  to  the  right,  flanked  the  position, 
and  held  himself  in  readiness  to  support  McPherson's  at- 
tack ;  but  after  a  sharp  battle,  that  general  had  defeated 
the  rebels,  who  had  fled  northward.  Sherman  was  now 
left  at  Jackson  to  destroy  the  railroads,  bridges,  facto- 
ries, arsenals,  machine-shops,  &c.,  belonging  to  the  enemy. 
He  did  this  effectually,  and,  early  on  the  16th  of  May,  re- 
ceived orders  from  General  Grant  to  move  with  all  speed 
till  he  came  up  with  the  main  forces  near  Bolton.  In  one 
hour  from  the  time  of  receiving  the  dispatch,  he  was  in  mo- 
tion with  his  troops.  On  reaching  Bolton,  he  found  that 
the  army  had  gone  on  and  fought  that  day  the  battle  of 
Champion  hills,  and  orders  were  left  for  him  to  go  on  to 
Bridgeport,  and  by  noon  of  the  17th  he  had  reached  that 
point.  From  thence  he  asshmed  the  advance,  starting 
before  dawn  of  the  18th,  crossing  the  Black  river  on  a 
pontoon  bridge,  and  marching  rapidly  towards  Vicksburg. 
Before  night  of  that  day,  by  a  rapid  detour  to  the  right, 
he  threw  himself  on  Walnut  hills,  and  compelled  their 
evacuation  by  the  enemy,  passing  between  Snyder's  and 
Walnut  bluffs,  and  thus  cutting  the  rebel  force  in  two. 
This  brilliant  manoeuvre  accomplished  two  results,  both 
of  the  greatest  importance.  It  compelled  the  evacuation 
of  Haines'  bluff,  Snyder's  bluff,  and  Walnut  and  Chicka- 
saw  bluffs  by  the  enemy,  with  all  their  strong  works,  and 
it  enabled  General  Grant  at  once  to  open  communication 
with  the  fleet  and  his  new  base  on  the  Yazoo  and  Mis- 
sissippi, above  Vicksburg.  Of  General  Sherman's  con- 
duct during  this  preliminary  portion  of  the  campaign, 
10 


110  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

General  Grant  wrote  to  the  War  Department :  "  His 
demonstration  at  Haines'  bluff  in  April,  to  hold  the 
enemy  about  Vicksburg,  while  the  army  was  securing  a 
foothold  east  of  the  Mississippi ;  his  rapid  marches  to 
join  the  army  afterwards;  his  management  at  Jackson., 
Mississippi,  in  the  first  attack;  his  almost  unequalled 
march  from  Jackson  to  Bridgeport,  and  passage  of  Black 
river ;  and  his  securing  Walnut  hills  on  the  18th  of  May, 
attest  his  great  merit  as  a  soldier."  It  is  worthy  of  no- 
tice, that  the  position  thus  gained  by  General  Sherman, 
by  a  rear  attack,  was  the  one  against  the  front  of  which 
his  troops  had  been  hurled  in  vain  less  than  five  months 
before. 

On  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  May,  at  2  A.  si.,  Gener- 
al Grant  ordered  a  general  assault  on  the  enemy's  lines, 
and,  of  the  three  corps  engaged,  Sherman's  alone  suc- 
ceeded in  making  a  material  advance.  A  second  assault 
was  ordered  for  the  22d.  This,  though  conducted  with 
great  bravery  and  daring,  proved  unsuccessful,  and  resort 
was  had  to  the  slower  but  surer  process  of  a  siege.  The 
city  was  surrendered  on  the  4th  of  July,  and  its  reduc- 
tion conferred  lasting  renown  on  General  Grant  and  his. 
brave  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  To  the  remainder  of  that 
army  the  surrender  brought  rest  and  relaxation  from  their 
severe  labor ;  but  Sherman's  troops,  increased  by  the  ad- 
dition of  the  13th  army  corps,  were  ordered  immediately 
to  look  after  Johnston.  That  rebel  commander  had  made 
great  efforts  to  collect  a  force  sufficient  to  enable  him  to 
raise  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  but  had  found  it  impossible 
to  do  so.  He  had,  however,  hovered  in  the  rear  of 
Grant's  army,  prudently  keeping  the  Big  Black  river  be- 
tween his  force  and  theirs,  but  was  on  the  alert  to  do 
them  a  mischief.  On  the  very  day  of  the  surrender 
Sherman  moved  eastward,  found  and  drove  Johnston's 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  lit 

force  back  to  Jackson,  and  promptly  invested  it  there, 
at  the  same  time  sending  his  cavalry  to  cut  the  railroads, 
and  destroy  railroad  bridges,  culverts,  depots,  cars,  &c., 
above  and  below  the  city  on  the  Mississippi  Central  rail- 
road, and  east  on  the  Jackson  and  Meridian  railroad. 
Johnston  made  one  desperate  sortie,  but,  finding  Gener- 
al Sherman  prepared  for  him,  evacuated  the  city  hastily 
on  the  night  of  the  16th,  at  the  only  point  not  yet  com- 
pletely invested,  abandoning  every  thing,  except  the  arms 
of  the  soldiers,  to  the  Union  troops.  Of  this  last  triumph 
General  Grant  said,  "  It  entitles  General  Sherman  to  more 
credit  than  usually  falls  to  the  lot  of  one  man  to  earn." 

For  two  months  General  Sherman  and  his  army  corps 
rested,  lying  in  camp  along  the  Big  Black  river,  a  rest 
much  needed  after  the  hardships  of  the  siege  and  subse- 
quent pursuit  of  Johnston  ;•  but  the  opportunity  was  im- 
proved by  the  commander  to  refit  and  recruit  his  force, 
and  to  bring  and  keep  them  in  the  highest  state  of  effi- 
ciency for  service  whenever  they  should  be  called  upon. 
The  time  soon  came.  On  the  22d  of  September,  General 
Grant  telegraphed  him  from  Vicksburg  to  send  a  divi- 
sion at  once  to  reinforce  Rosecrans,  who  had  just  fought 
the  severe  and  disastrous  battle  of  Chickamauga.  At  4 
P.M.,  the  same  day,  Osterhaus'  division  were  on  the  road 
to  Vicksburg,  and  the  next  day  ascending  the  river  to 
Memphis.  On  the  23d  the  order  came  for  General  Sher- 
man to  follow  with  the  remainder  of  his  corps.  He  started 
instantly,  every  thing  being  in  order  for  immediate  move- 
ment, and  on  the  27th  was  on  his  way  to  Memphis  by 
water.  Owing  to  the  low  state  of  the  river  and  the  scar- 
city of  fuel,  the  voyage  was  very  slow,  and  the  general 
found  it  necessary  frequently  to  land  forces  and  gather 
fence-rails,  and  other  fuel,  to  hasten  their  progress.  They 
finally  reached  Memphis  on  the  2d,  3d,  and  4th  of  Oc- 


112  OUR   GEEAT   CAPTAINS. 

tober,  Osterhaus'  division  having,  meantime,  advanced 
as  far  as  Corinth.  At  Memphis  he  found  orders  from 
General  Halleck  to  move  his  corps,  and  all  other  avail- 
able troops  in  his  vicinity,  to  Athens,  Alabama,  following 
and  repairing  the  railroad,  and  depending  on  the  country 
through  which  he  passed  for  his  supplies.  Work  was 
instantly  commenced  on  the  railroad,  and  prosecuted  day 
and  night,  but,  finding  he  could  move  his  trains  more 
rapidly  by  turnpike  with  an  escort,  he  dispatched  them 
by  that  route,  and  finally  sent  forward  his  fourth  division 
in  the  same  way. 

The  rebels  having  learned  of  this  movement,  and  being 
alarmed  by  it,  collected  as  rapidly  as  possible  bodies  of 
troops  at  Salem,  Mississippi,  and  Tuscumbia,  Alabama, 
to  prevent  the  advance  of  Sherman,  and  his  reinforce- 
ment of  Rosecrans.  At  Salem,  the  rebel  General  Chal- 
mers had  collected  three  thousand  cavalry  and  eight 
pieces  of  artillery,  and  moved  forward  with  this  force  to 
the  Memphis  and  Charleston  railroad  to  obstruct  Sher- 
man's progress.  Having  been  informed  of  this,  General 
Sherman  on  the  llth  of  October  put  his  whole  force  in 
motion  towards  Corinth,  and  himself  started  for  that 
place  in  advance  by  special  train,  having  a  battalion  of 
the  13th  regular  infantry  (his  own  old  regiment)  with  him 
as  escort.  As  he  approached  Colliersville,  twenty-four 
miles  from  Memphis,  his  train  was  fired  upon,  and  it  was 
discovered  that  Chalmers  was  investing  the  place,  which 
was  defended  by  a  small  garrison  of  Union  troops  in  a 
stockade.  Springing  from  the  train,  and  forming  his 
escort,  he  ordered  them  to  charge  the  rebels,  which  they 
did  with  great  effect,  scattering  them  in  all  directions, 
and  relieving  the  little  garrison.  Having  driven  the 
rebels  from  the  vicinity,  he  proceeded  the  next  day  to 
Corinth,  from  whence  he  sent  General  Blair  to  luka  with 


GENERAL   SHEKMAN.  113 

the  first  division,  and,  as  fast  as  they  came  up,  pushed 
the  other  divisions  along,  with  orders  to  stop  at  Big 
Bear  creek,  five  miles  east  of  luka.  Before  leaving 
Memphis  he  had  sent  a  request  to  Admiral  Porter  to 
send  the  gunboats  up  the  Tennessee,  and  to  General 
Allen,  at  St.  Louis,  to  send  a  ferry-boat  to  Eastport. 
Both  had  complied  with  his  wishes,  and  he  resumed 
work  on  the  railroad  with  all  possible  energy,  send- 
ing General  Blair,  meanwhile,  with  two  divisions  to 
drive  the  enemy  out  of  Tuscumbia,  which  he  accom- 
plished on  the  27th  of  October,  having  previously  en- 
countered the  rebels  in  a  severe  fight  at  Qane  creek. 

While  General  Sherman  was  thus  making  as  rapid 
progress  as  he  could  in  reopening  communications  be- 
tween Memphis  and  Chattanooga,  General  Grant  had 
been  advanced  to  the  command  of  the  grand  military 
division  of  the  Mississippi,  comprising  the  three  armies 
of  the  Cumberland,  the  Ohio,  and  the  Tennessee,  and 
had  asked  and  obtained  for  General  Sherman  the  com- 
mand of  his  own  army  of  the  Tennessee.  He  was  in- 
formed of  this  while  at  luka,  and  immediately  com- 
menced reorganizing  his  new  command ;  and  on  the  day 
of  the  battle  of  Cane  creek  he  sent  General  Ewing  with 
a  division  to  cross  the  Tennessee,  and  move  with  all 
speed  to  Eastport.  On  the  27th  of  October,  a  messen- 
ger arrived  from  General  Grant,  ordering  him  to  drop 
all  work  on  the  railroad  east  of  Bear  creek,  and  push  on 
to  Bridgeport.  With  prompt  obedience  he  immediately 
ordered  all  his  columns  towards  Eastport,  as  the  only 
practicable  point  where  the  Tennessee  could  be  crossed. 
On  the  1st  of  November,  General  Sherman  himself 
crossed,  and  passed  on  to  the  head  of  the  column,  leav- 
ing the  rear  in  charge  of  General  Blair,  and  marched  to 
Kogersville  and  the  Elk  river.  Finding  that  river  im- 
10* 


114:  OUR    GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

passable,  and  there  being  no  time  for  building  a  bridge 
or  constructing  pontoons,  he  marched  on  by  the  north 
side  of  the  Elk  river  to  Fayetteville,  and  crossing  there, 
headed  his  column  for  Bridgeport ;  and  having  prescribed 
the  route  for  each  division,  he  hastened  forward  to 
Bridgeport,  telegraphed  to  General  Grant  the  position 
of  his  troops,  and  on  the  15th  of  November,  with  his 
escort,  entered  Chattanooga.  He  was  welcomed  by 
General  Grant,  and  at  once  received  orders  to  move  his 
troops,  as  soon  as  they  came  up,  across  the  Tennessee, 
and  effect  a  lodgment  on  the  terminus  of  Missionary 
Ridge,  and  at  the  same  time  demonstrate  with  a  part  of 
his  force  against  Lookout  mountain.  His  men  were 
much  exhausted  by  their  long  and  terrible  march  from 
Memphis,  and  most  generals  would  have  craved  a  brief 
period  of  rest  for  them,  but  General  Sherman  was  too 
thorough  a  soldier  to  hesitate  a  moment  in  his  obedience, 
and  he  accordingly  directed  Ewing's  division  on  Trenton, 
to  make  the  intended  demonstration  on  Lookout  moun- 
tain, and  himself  returned  to  Bridgeport,  rowing  a  boat 
down  the  Tennessee  from  Kelly's  ferry,  and  instantly 
put  his  other  divisions  in  motion,  in  the  order  in  which 
they  had  arrived.  The  roads  were  horrible,  but  by  the 
most  incessant  exertion  night  and  day,  he  succeeded  in 
crossing  three  divisions  over  a  pontoon  bridge  at 
Brown's  ferry  by  the  23d  of  November,  while  the  fourth 
division  was  left  behind  in  Hooker's  camp,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  breaking  of  the  bridge.  The  three  di- 
visions were  the  same  day  concealed  behind  the  hills 
opposite  the  mouth  of  Chickamauga  river,  and  the  same 
night,  by  a  dexterous  manoeuvre,  he  moved  a  force 
silently  along  the  river,  and  captured  every  guard  but 
one  of  the  enemy's  picket  of  twenty  men.  By  daylight, 
on  the  24th  of  November,  he  had  crossed  eight  thousand 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  115 

men  on  steamboats  and  pontoon  boats  to  the  east  bank 
of  the  Tennessee,  and  they  had  thrown  up  a  strong  rifle 
trench,  commanding  both  the  Tennessee  and  the  Chicka- 
mauga  river,  as  a  tSte  du  pont.  At  dawn  two  pontoon 
bridges  were  begun — one  thirteen  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
long,  over  the  Tennessee ;  the  other,  across  the  Chicka- 
mauga,  perhaps  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  At  1  P.  M., 
both  were  done,  and  the  remainder  of  the  three  divisions 
crossed,  and  marched  from  the  river  en  echelon^  so  ar- 
ranged as  to  be  able  to  deploy  promptly  to  the  right  on 
meeting  the  enemy.  After  these  came  a  considerable 
cavalry  force,  which  crossed  the  Chickamauga,  and 
dashed  eastward,  to  cut  the  railroad  lines  upon  the 
Chattanooga  ai*d  Knoxville  and  Cleveland  and  DaltoA 
roads.  The  movements  of  the  infantry  were  so  com- 
pletely concealed  by  a  rain  and  fog,  that  they  pushed  on 
up  the  hill  which  forms  the  terminus  of  Missionary  Ridge, 
unseen,  surprised  the  enemy,  and  took  the  log  and  earth- 
work fort  which  crowned  the  hill  by  half-past  three 
o'clock  p.  M.  The  enemy,  enraged  at  finding  himself  so 
completely  outmanoeuvred  and  outflanked,  opened  upon 
Sherman's  troops  with  artillery  and  musketry,  but  the 
Union  artillery,  which  had  been  dragged  up  the  steep 
ascent,  opened  in  turn  and  soon  silenced  him.  Looking 
at  the  ridge  from  the  summit  of  this  hill,  however,  it 
was  evident  that  the  grand  objective  was  the  next  or 
second  spur,  which  was  higher,  steeper,  and  on  the  broad 
plateau  at  the  top  had  a  very  strong  arid  extensive  earth- 
work, known  as  Fort  Buckner.  To  carry  this  must  be 
Sherman's  effort  on  the  following  day.  The  commander- 
in-chief  held  a  consultation  with  his  leading  generals 
that  night,  and  fully  aware  of  Sherman's  abilities  and 
prompt  obedience,  assigned  to  him  a  difficult  task,  and 
one  which,  for  the  time,  could  not  increase  and  might 


116  OtJR   GEEAT    CAPTAINS. 

diminish  his  reputation,  because  the  motives  on  which 
he  acted  might  not  be  fully  understood.  As  he  expected, 
General  Sherman  promptly,  and  without  objection,  ac- 
cepted his  part  of  the  duty  of  the  morrow.  He  was  to 
make  a  persistent  demonstration  against  Fort  Buckner, 
sending  up  column  after  column  to  assault  it,  and  thus 
drawing  the  rebel  troops  from  Forts  Bragg  and  Breck- 
inridge  below  to  Tunnel  hill,  on  which  Fort  Buckner 
was  situated,  leave  those  forts  fatally  weakened,  when 
General  Grant  would  send  a  storming  column  to  capture 
them,  and  the  enemy  thus  assailed  in  rear  and  flank 
would  be  compelled  to  relinquish  his  position  on  the 
ridge.  It  was  not  expected  that  Sherman's  assaults 
would  be  successful,  though,  to  be  effective,  they  must 
cost  heavy  losses ;  but  it  is  not  saying  any  thing  deroga- 
tory to  the  other  able  generals  who  participated  in  these 
battles,  to  say  that  to  none  other  would  General  Grant 
have  felt  willing  to  have  assigned  a  task  requiring  such 
firmness  and  self-sacrifice  without  any  immediate  hope  of 
reputation  or  fame,  but  rather  a  certainty  of  reproach, 
utterly  undeserved,  attaching  to  it ;  and  had  he  been 
disposed  to  propose  it  to  any  other,  he  could  hardly  have 
failed  to  have  met  with  a  protest.  General  Sherman  ac- 
cepted the  duty,  however,  as  he  would  have  done  any 
other,  satisfied  that  it  was  his  part  to  perform  whatever 
duty  was  assigned  to  him,  without  complaint,  so  it  would 
inure  to  the  overthrow  of  the  rebellion  and  the  end  of 
the  war. 

"  Before  dawn  on  the  25th  of  November,"  says  Colonel 
Bowman,  "  Sherman  was  in  the  saddle,  and  had  made 
the  entire  tour  of  his  position  in  the  dim  light.  It  was 
seen  that  a  deep  valley  lay  between  him  and  the  precip- 
itous sides  of  the  next  hill  in  the  series,  which  was  only 
partially  cleared,  and  of  which  the  crest  was  narrow  and 


GENERAL,   SHERMAN.  117 

wooded.  The  further  point  of  the  hill  was  held  by  the 
enemy,  with  a  strong  breastwork  of  logs  and  fresh  earth, 
crowded  with  men  and  carrying  two  guns.  On  a  still 
higher  hill  beyond  the  tunnel  he  appeared  in  great  force, 
and  had  a  fair  plunging  fire  ou  the  intermediate  hill  in 
dispute.  The  gorge  between  these  two  latter  hills, 
through  which  the  railroad  tunnel  passes,  could  not  be 
seen  from  Sherman's  position,  but  formed  the  natural 
place  d'armes,  where  the  enemy  covered  his  masses  to 
resist  Sherman's  turning  his  right  flank,  and  thus  endan- 
gering his  communications  with  the  Chickamauga  de- 
pot." 

General  Corse  was  to  have  the  advance,  "  and,"  says 
General  Sherman,  "  the  sun  had  hardly  risen  when  his 
bugle  sounded  the  '  Forward.' "  Down  the  valley  and 
up  the  steep  sides  of  the  hill  in  front  they  moved  briskly, 
and  though  at  every  step  they  encountered  a  murderous 
fire  from  the  enemy's  artillery,  yet  they  managed  in  spite 
of  all  opposition  to  carry  and  hold  a  secondary  crest  or 
ledge  of  rocks  on  Tunnel  hill,  although  their  position 
was  swept  by  the  fire  of  the  breastworks  in  front.  For 
more  than  an  hour  a  conflict  of  the  most  desperate  char- 
acter raged,  the  Union  troops  now  surging  up  close  to 
the  breastwork,  and  apparently  about  to  spring  over, 
and  anon  dashed  back  far  away  to  their  original  position. 
To  draw  the  fire  partially  from  these  struggling  heroes, 
General  Sherman  opened  a  fire  with  his  artillery  upon 
the  breastwork,  throwing  shot  and  shell  into  it  with 
great  accuracy.  He  also  sent  two  columns,  one  to  the 
left  of  the  ridge  and  one  to  the  right,  abreast  of  the  tun- 
nel, to  distract  the  enemy's  attention,  and  thus  support 
Corse's  attack.  About  ten.  o'clock  A.  M.,  the  fight  in- 
creased in  intensity,  and  General  Corse  was  severely 
wounded.  Two  brigades  of  reinforcements  were  sent 


118  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

up,  but  the  crest  was  so  crowded  that  they  had  to  fall 
away  to  the  west  side  of  the  hill,  and  at  once  the  enemy's 
reserves,  which  had  been  lying  in  the  gorge  under  cover 
of  the  undergrowth,  sprang  out  upon  their  right  and 
rear.  Thus  suddenly  assailed,  they  fell  back  in  some 
confusion  to  the  lower  edge  of  the  field,  where  they  re- 
formed in  good  order,  and  repelled  the  attempts  of  the 
enemy  to  pursue.  As  these  brigades  constituted  no  part 
of  the  real  attack,  this  temporary  rebuff  was  of  no  prac- 
tical importance.  General  Corse's  column  and  the  two 
brigades  on  the  right  and  left  still  held  their  position 
stubbornly  on  the  crest.  They  might  not  be  able  to 
drive  the  enemy  from  the  hill,  but  neither  would  they 
be  driven  from  it  themselves. 

Regarding  this  as  the  main  attack,  and  determined  to 
repel  it,  the  enemy  now  began  to  draw,  from  his  line  be- 
low, troops  to  mass  against  these  stubborn  assailants. 
"At  three  P.M.,"  writes  General  Sherman,  "column  after 
column  of  the  enemy  was  streaming  towards  me,  gun 
after  gun  poured  its  concentric  shot  on  us  from  every 
hill  and  spur  that  gave  a  view  of  any  part  of  the  ground." 
From  Orchard  knob  General  Grant  watched,  with  deep 
interest,  the  struggle ;  and  when,  after  another  charge 
of  the  most  determined  character  had  almost,  but  not 
quite,  won  the  goal,  opposed,  at  the  very  last,  by  the 
heavy  reinforcements  which  the  enemy  had  just  brought 
up,  the  commander-in-chief  sent  a  division  over  to  sup- 
port him,  Sherman  sent  it  back,  with  a  message,  that  he 
had  all  the  force  necessary,  and  could  hold  his  position 
on  Tunnel  hill.  Then  came  the  moment  so  long  watched 
for,  when  the  blow  to  which  Bragg  had  unwisely  ex- 
posed himself,  was  to  be  struck,  and  the  patient  and  gal- 
lant heroes  on  Tunnel  hill  were  to  be  avenged.  Hooker 
had  already  placed  himself  in  rear  of  the  enemy,  on  Mis- 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  119 

sion  ridge,  and  was  at  that  moment  thundering  against 
the  walls  of  Fort  Bragg,  the  southernmost  of  the 
rebel  earthworks  on  the  ridge,  which  he  carried  a  little 
later — and  at  twenty  minutes  to  four,  the  fourth  army 
corps  of  Thomas'  army  charged  in  solid  column  up  the 
ridge,  and  carried  Fort  Breckenridge ;  and  the  rebel  gen- 
eral and  all  his  garrisons  and  army  were  forced,  after  a 
very  brief  conflict,  to  fly  in  hot  haste  down  the  eastern 
slope  of  Missionary  ridge,  and  take  refuge  in  the  valleys 
beyond.  The  battles  of  Chattanooga  were  won.  Sher- 
man's part  in  this  conflict  had  been,  as  we  have  said, 
not  the  brilliant  one  of  the  victor,  before  whom  the 
enemy  fly  in  confusion  ;  rather  had  he  at  the  first  to 
bear  the  odium  of  having  sacrificed  his  men  in  a  fruitless 
though  persistent  assault  on  a  fortification  which  could 
not  be  carried  by  direct  attack ;  but  when  the  whole 
plan  of  the  battles  came  out,  and  their  mutual  relations 
were  seen,  it  became  evident  that  the  glorious  successes  of 
that  day  were  due  as  much  to  the  persistency  and  stub- 
bornness with  which  General  Sherman  held  the  crest  of 
Tunnel  hill,  as  to  the  brilliant  charge  of  the  fourth  corps 
against  Fort  Breckenridge.  Without  the  former  the  lat- 
ter could  not,  by  any  possibility,  have  proved  successful. 
But  with  the  victory  came  no  rest  for  Sherman's  war- 
worn veterans.  The  same  night  Sherman's  skirmishers 
followed  the  enemy,  and  long  before  dawn  the  next 
morning  Sherman  was  himself  in  the  saddle,  leading  a 
.  division  of  Howard's  corps  in  swift  pursuit  of  the  flying 
foe.  The  remainder  of  his  army,  and  portions  of 
Thomas's,  as  well  as  Hooker's  grand  division,  followed 
closely  and  persistently,  skirmished  with  the  enemy  at 
two  or  three  points,  and  finally  compelling  him  to  stand 
at  bay  at  Ringgold,  had  a  sharp  action,  but  defeated  the 
rebels  with  considerable  slaughter.  General  Grant  now 


120  OUR   GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

acceded  to  General  Sherman's  request,  to  be  allowed  to 
destroy  thoroughly  the  railroad  communications  of  the 
enemy  with  Knoxville,  and  thus  effectually  prevent  the 
reunion  of  Longstreet  and  Bragg. 

Meantime,  General  Burnside,  now  besieged  at  Knox- 
ville, had  sent  an  urgent  appeal  to  General  Grant  for 
relief.  Grant  had  already  ordered  General  Granger  to 
march  thither  with  his  corps,  but  he  had  not  yet  got  off, 
and  moved  with  reluctance  and  complaint.  Nor  had  he 
the  number  of  men  which  General  Grant  had  directed 
him  to  take.  "I  therefore  determined,"  says  General 
Grant,  "  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  two  divisions  of 
Sherman's  forces  had  marched  from  Memphis,  and  had 
gone  into  battle  immediately  on  their  arrival  at  Chatta- 
nooga, to  send  him  with  his  command."  Accordingly, 
Sherman  received  command  of  all  the  troops  designed 
for  relieving  Knoxville,  including  Granger's.  "  Seven 
days  before,"  wrote  Sherman,  "  we  had  left  our  camps 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Tennessee,  with  two  days'  ra- 
tions, without  a  change  of  clothing,  stripped  for  the 
fight,  with  but  a  single  blanket  or  coat  per  man,  from 
myself  to  the  private  included.  Of  course,  we  then  had 
no  provisions,  save  what  we  gathered  by  the  road,  and 
were  ill-supplied  for  such  a  march.  But  we  learned  that 
twelve  thousand  of  our  fellow-soldiers  were  beleaguered 
in  the  mountain-town  of  Knoxville,  eighty-four  miles 
distant,  that  they  needed  relief,  and  must  have  it  in  three 
days.  This  was  enough  ;  and  it  had  to  be  done."  The 
railroad  bridge  over  the  Hiawassee  was  repaired  and 
planked,  and  at  daylight  of  the  1st  of  December  the 
army  crossed  upon  it,  and  marched  to  Athens,  fifteen 
miles,  through  deep  mud.  On  the  2d  of  December  they 
hurried  forward  to  London,  twenty-six  miles  distant, 
while  the  cavalry  pushed  on  in  advance  to  endeavor  to 


GENERAL    SHERMAN.  121 

save  the  bridge  over  the  Tennessee,  held  by  the  rebel 
General  Vaughan's  brigade.  They  found  him  strongly 
posted  in  earthworks  with  heavy  artillery,  and  were 
compelled  to  wait  for  Howard's  infantry  to  come  up. 
During  the  night,  Yaughan  retreated,  desti'oying  the 
pontoon  bridge,  and  running  several  locomotives  and  a 
number  of  cars  into  the  Tennessee,  but  leaving  his  guns 
and  provisions.  But  one  day  remained,  and  less  than 
half  the  distance  was  traversed,  and  the  bridge  gone. 
General  Sherman,  therefore,  sent  word  to  Colonel  Long, 
the  commander  of  the  cavalry  brigade,  that  General 
Burnside  must  know  within  twenty-four  hours  that  he 
was  on  his  way  to  relieve  him,  and  directed  him  to  se- 
lect his  best  mounted  men,  start  at  once,  ford  the  Little 
Tennessee,  and  push  into  Knoxville,  at  whatever  cost  of 
horseflesh.  The  road  was  long  and  almost  impassable 
for  mud,  but  Colonel  Long  was  off  before  dawn,  and 
reached  there  the  same  evening.  The  army  turned 
aside  at  Philadelphia,  and  struck  the  Little  Tennessee  at 
Morgantown,  but  were  obliged  to  extemporize  a  bridge, 
and  crossed  in  the  night  of  the  4th  of  December,  and  on 
the  morning  of  the  5th  received  a  message  from  General 
Burnside  that  Long's  cavalry  had  arrived  in  season,  and 
that  all  was  well.  The  forced  march  was  continued  to 
Marysville,  where  a  staff-officer  of  General  Burnside 
arrived  on  the  evening  of  the  5th,  with  the  announce- 
ment that  Longstreet  had  raised  the  siege  the  night 
before. 

General  Sherman  now  sent  forward  Granger's  two 
divisions  to  Knoxville,  and  at  once  ordered  the  remainder 
of  his  gallant  army  to  halt  and  rest,  for  their  work  was 
done.  For  himself,  he  went  to  Knoxville ;  and,  having 
found  every  thing  safe  there,  returned  leisurely  with  his 
army,  except  Granger's  divisions,  to  Chattanooga.  The 

11 


122  OUK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

three  months  which  had  elapsed  since  they  left  Vicksburg 
had  been  passed  in  a  campaign  unparalleled  in  the  history 
of  war.  Without  a  moment's  rest,  after  a  march  of  four 
hundred  miles,  without  sleep  for  three  successive  nights, 
they  crossed  the  Tennessee  river,  fought  their  part  in 
the  battles  of  Chattanooga,  pursued  the  enemy  out  of  * 
Tenesssee,  then  turned  north  more  than  a  hundred  miles, 
and  compelled  Longstreet  to  raise  the  siege  of  Knox- 
ville.  These  marches  had  been  made  much  of  the  time 
without  regular  rations  or  supplies  of  any  kind,  through 
mud  and  over  rocks,  sometimes  barefooted,  and  in  a 
mountainous  region,  in  the  depth  of  winter,  Avithout  a 
murmur. 

It  is  related  of  one  of  these  veteran  heroes,  that  after 
his  return  to  Chattanooga,  he  was,  in  passing  through 
the  camps,  challenged  by  a  sentinel  belonging  to  the 
Eleventh  corps,  and  made  answer  that  he  "  belonged  to 
the  Fifteenth  corps."  "  Where's  your  badge  ?"  asked 
the  sentry.  "  What  badge  ?"  inquired  the  veteran. 
"The  badge  of  your  corps.  We  wear  a  crescent  to 
designate  our  corps."  "Badge?"  answered  the  hero. 
"  Oh  yes !  Forty  rounds  of  ammunition  in  our  cartridge 
boxes ;  sixty  rounds  in  our  pockets  ;  a  march  from  Mem- 
phis to  Chattanooga ;  a  battle  and  pursuit ;  another  march 
to  Knoxville ;  and  victory  everywhere.  That's  all  the 
badge  we  want." 

General  Sherman  possesses  a  highly  cultivated  mind, 
well  trained  by  study  and  observation  in  a  wider  range 
of  topics  than  usually  come  within  the  scope  of  military 
men ;  and  in  his  letters  and  reports  the  evidences  of  this 
thorough  and  thoughtful  culture  are  often  noticeable,  a 
single  expression  sometimes  embodying  some  great  prin- 
ciple on  which  Vattel,  Montesquieu,  or  Jornini  would 
have  expended  a  hundred  pages.  We  shall  see  instances 


GENERAL   SHEKMAN.  123 

of  this  further  on.  In  all  matters  of  military  law,  prin- 
ciple, or  custom  he  displays  a  profound  knowledge,  and 
a  facility  in  applying  them  to  existing  cases  which  few 
military  writers  have  possessed.  His  letters  on  the  proper 
treatment  of  disloyal  people  in  conquered  territory  are 
*  models  of  military  learning  and  judicial  ability,  and  will 
in  all  the  future  be  quoted  as  authorities.  One  of  these, 
addressed  to  Assistant  Adjutant-General  Sawyer  at 
Huntsville,  Alabama,  and  bearing  date  Jan.  24th,  1864, 
is  so  clear  and  satisfactory  in  its  enunciation  of  the  posi- 
tion of  our  government  in  relation  to  these  disloyal  resi- 
dents, that  we  cannot  forbear  quoting  a  considerable 
portion  of  it. 

After  citing  historical  precedents,  and  the  authority  of 
Napoleon  and  William  of  Orange,  for  his  views,  he  pro- 
ceeds to  say : 

"  The  war  which  now  prevails  in  our  land  is  essentially 
a  war  of  races.  The  Southern  people  entered  into  a 
clear  compact  of  government,  but  still  maintained  a 
species  of  separate  interests,  history,  and  prejudices. 
These  latter  became  stronger  and  stronger,  till  they 
have  led  to  a  war  which  has  developed  fruits  of  the  bit- 
terest kind. 

"  We  of  the  North  are,  beyond  all  question,  right  in 
our  lawful  cause,  but  we  are  not  bound  to  ignore  the 
fact  that  the  people  of  the  South  have  prejudices,  which 
form  a  part  of  their  nature,  and  which  they  cannot  throw 
off  without  an  effort  of  reason,  or  the  slower  process  of 
natural  change.  Now,  the  question  arises,  should  we 
treat  as  absolute  enemies  all  in  the  South  who  differ  from 
us  in  opinion  or  prejudice, — kill  or  banish  them  ?  or 
should  we  give  them  time  to  think  and  gradually  change 
their  conduct,  so  as  to  conform  to  the  new  order  of 


124:  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

things,  which  is  slowly  and  gradually  creeping  into  their 
country  ? 

"When  men  take  arms  to  resist  our  rightful  au- 
thority, we  are  compelled  to  use  force,  because  all  rea- 
son and  argument  cease  when  arms  are  resorted  to. 
When  the  provisions,  forage,  horses,  mules,  wagons,  &c., 
are  used  by  our  enemy,  it  is  clearly  our  duty  and  right 
to  take  them,  because  otherwise  they  might  be  used 
again  st.  us. 

"  In  like  manner,  all  houses  left  vacant  by  an  inimical 
people  are  clearly  our  right,  or  such  as  are  needed  as 
storehouses,  hospitals,  and  quarters.  But  a  question 
arises  as  to  dwellings  used  by  women,  children,  and  non- 
combatants.  So  long  as  non-combatants  remain  in  their 
houses,  and  keep  to  their  accustomed  business,  their 
opinions  and  prejudices  can  in  no  wise  influence  the  war, 
and,  therefore,  should  not  be  noticed.  But  if  any  one 
conies  out  into  the  public  streets  and  creates  disorder, 
he  or  she  should  be  punished,  restrained,  or  banished, 
either  to  the  rear  or  front,  as  the  officer  in  command  ad- 
judges. If  the  people,  or  any  of  them,  keep  up  a  cor- 
respondence with  parties  in  hostility,  they  are  spies,  and 
can  be  punished  with  death,  or  minor  punishment. 

"  These  are  well-established  principles  of  war,  and  the 
people  of  the  South,  having  appealed  to  war,  are  barred 
from  appealing  to  our  Constitution,  which  they  have 
practically  and  publicly  defied.  They  have  appealed  to 
war,  and  must  abide  its  rules  and  laws.  The  United 
States,  as  a  belligerent  party  claiming  right  in  the  soil  as 
the  ultimate  sovereign,  have  a  right  to  change  the  popu- 
lation, and  it  may  be,  and  is,  both  politic  and  just,  we 
should  do  so  in  certain  districts.  When  the  inhabitants 
persist  too  long  in  hostility,  it  may  be  both  politic  and 
right  that  we  should  banish  them  and  appropriate  their 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  125 

lands  to  a  more  loyal  and  useful  population.  No  man  will 
deny  that  the  United  States  would  be  benefited  by  dis- 
possessing a  single  prejudiced,  hard-headed,  and  disloyal 
planter,  and  substituting  in  his  place  a  dozen  or  more 
patient,  industrious,  good  families,  even  if  they  be  of 
foreign  birth.  I  think  it  does  good  to  present  this  view 
of  the  case  to  many  Southern  gentlemen,  who  grew  rich 
and  wealthy,  not  by  virtue  alone  of  their  industry  and 
skill,  but  by  reason  of  the  protection  and  impetus  to 
prosperity  given  by  our  hitherto  moderate  and  magnan- 
imous Government.  It  is  all  idle  nonsense  for  these 
Southern  planters  to  say  that  they  made  the  South,  that 
they  own  it,  and  that  they  can  do  as  they  please, — even 
to  break  up  our  Government,  and  to  shut  up  the  natural 
avenues  of  trade,  intercourse,  and  commerce. 

***** 

"Whilst  I  assert  for  our  Government  the  highest 
military  prerogatives,  I  am  willing  to  bear  in  patience 
that  political  nonsense  of  slave-rights,  State  rights,  free- 
dom of  conscience,  freedom  of  press,  and  such  other 
trash,  as  have  deluded  the  Southern  people  into  war, 
anarchy,  and  bloodshed,  and  the  foulest  crimes  that  have 
disgraced  any  time  or  any  people. 

"  I  would  advise  the  commanding  officers  at  Hunts- 
ville,  and  such  other  towns  as  are  occupied  by  our  troops, 
to  assemble  the  inhabitants  and  explain  to  them  these 
plain,  self-evident  propositions,  and  tell  them  that  it  is 
for  them  now  to  say  whether  they  and  their  children 
shall  inherit  the  beautiful  land  which  by  the  accident  of 
nature  has  fallen  to  their  share.  The  Government  of 
the  United  States  has  in  North  Alabama  any  and  all 
rights  which  they  choose  to  enforce  in  war, — to  take 
their  lives,  their  homes,  their  lands,  their  every  thing ; 
because  they  cannot  deny  that  war  does  exist  there ; 

11* 


126  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

and  war  is  simply  power,  unrestrained  by  Constitution 
or  compact.  If  they  want  eternal  war,  well  and  good  ; 
we  will  accept  the  issue  and  dispossess  them  and  put  our 
friends  in  possession.  I  know  thousands  and  millions  of 
good  people  who,  at  simple  notice,  would  come  to  North 
Alabama  and  accept  the  elegant  houses  and  plantations 
now  there.  If  the  people  of  Huntsville  think  differently, 
let  them  persist  in  war  three  years  longer,  and  then 
they  will  not  be  consulted.  Three  years  ago,  by  a  little 
reflection  and  patience,  they  could  have  had  a  hundred 
years  of  peace  and  prosperity,  but  they  preferred  war. 
Very  well.  Last  year  they  could  have  saved  their 
slaves,  but  now  it  is  too  late  ;  all  the  powers  of  earth 
cannot  restore  to  them  their  slaves,  any  more  than  their 
dead  grandfathers.  Next  year  their  lands  will  be  taken, 
— for  in  war  we  can  take  them,  and  rightfully  too, — and 
in  another  year  they  may  beg  in  vain  for  their  lives.  A 
people  who  will  persevere  in  war  beyond  a  certain  limit 
ought  to  know  the  consequences.  Many,  many  people, 
with  less  pertinacity  than  the  South,  have  been  wiped 
out  of  national  existence." 

The  expedition  of  General  Sherman  into  Central 
Mississippi  was  projected  by  that  general,  but  sanc- 
tioned and  ordered  by  General  Grant.  It  was  a  grand 
conception,  the  marching  a  movable  column  of  twenty- 
two  thousand  men,  cut  loose  from  any  base,  for  a  hun- 
dred and  thirty  miles  through  the  enemy's  country,  and 
in  modern  times  has  hardly  been  surpassed  except  by 
Sherman  himself  in  his  later  movements.  That  it  failed 
of  accomplishing  all  that  was  intended,  and  was  in  its 
results  only  a  gigantic  raid,  carrying  terror  into  the 
very  heart  of  the  Confederacy,  and  crippling  the  re- 
sources of  the  enemy  beyond  effectual  reparation,  was 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  127 

not  the  fault  of  General  Sherman,  but  of  the  co-operat- 
ing cavalry  force,  which  failed  to  make  its  movement  at 
the  proper  time,  and  with  the  necessary  resolution  and 
energy  to  effect  a  junction  which  might  have  swept 
Mississippi  and  Alabama  out  of  the  grasp  of  the  rebels. 

Brigadier-General  W.  S.  Smith  was  ordered  to  leave 
I 
Memphis  on  the  1st  of  February,  with  a  force  of  8,000 

cavalry,  and  move  down  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  railroad, 
from  Corinth  to  Meridian,  destroying  the  road  as  he 
went.  At  Meridian  he  was  to  form  a  junction  with 
General  Sherman,  who  left  Vicksburg  on  the  3d  of  Feb- 
ruary, and  marched  eastward  with  a  force  of  twenty 
thousand  cavalry,  twelve  hundred  infantry,  and  a  train 
carrying  twenty  days'  rations.  General  Smith  failed  to 
move  at  the  proper  time,  and,  indeed,  did  not  leave 
Memphis  till  the  llth  of  February  ;  and  the  rebels,  mean- 
time, had  collected  a  sufficient  force  on  his  route  to  op- 
pose his  progress,  and  induce  him  to  turn  back,  after  one 
or  two  skirmishes.  Meantime,  Sherman  had  performed 
his  part  of  the  expedition  well.  Moving  directly  across 
the  State  of  Mississippi  from  Vicksburg,  through  Clin- 
ton, Jackson,  Quitman,  Enterprise,  and  Meridian,  he 
encountered  no  formidable  opposition,  and  destroyed  the 
rebel  communications  and  stores  beyond  their  power  to 
replace  them,  and  brought  off  large  numbers  of  the  able- 
bodied  negroes  and  their  families  from  that  region,  the 
centre  of  the  cotton-growing  country,  and  great  num- 
bers of  horses,  mules,  and  army  wagons.  Finding  that 
General  Smith  would  not  probably  effect  a  junction  with 
him,  he  turned  his  face  westward  from  Meridian,  after  a 
stay  of  three  or  four  days,  meeting  with  no  serious  an- 
noyance from  the  rebels,  who  followed  at  a  respectful 
distance. 
The  purpose  of  the  expedition  was  to  cut  off  Mobile 


128  OUR   GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

from  Johnston,  and  so  annoy,  harass,  and  cut  up  Folk's 
force  in  Central  Mississippi  as  to  prevent  its  going  to  the 
relief  of  Mobile,  at  which  Farragut  was  pounding  away 
with  his  fleet.  The  failure  of  General  Smith  to  co-operate 
deranged  this  plan  in  part,  and  the  assault  on  Mobile  was 
necessarily  postponed  for  the  time. 

Oil  the  12th  of  Match,  1864,  the  general  order  of  the 
War  Department  was  issued,  by  virtue  of  which  Lieu- 
tenant-General  Grant  was  put  in  command  of  all  the 
armies  of  the  Union,  and  by  the  same  order  General 
Sherman  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  grand 
military  division  of  the  Mississippi,  the  position  vacated 
by  General  Grant.  This  division  included  the  depart- 
ments of  the  Ohio,  the  Cumberland,  the  Tennessee,  and, 
for  the  time,  Arkansas.  The  forces  under  his  command 
numbered  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
men,  and  were  to  be  still  further  increased.  His  subor- 
dinate commanders  were  General  Thomas,  at  the  head 
of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  General  McPherson, 
an  accomplished  officer,  who  succeeded  him  in  the  com- 
mand of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  General  Schofield, 
commanding  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  General  Hooker, 
commanding  two  corps  from  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
General  Hurlbut,  at  the  head  of  the  large  and  efficient 
Sixteenth  army  corps,  General  Howard,  previously  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  General  Logan,  who 
commanded  his  own  old  corps,  the  Fifteenth  ;  and,  be- 
sides these,  nearly  a  score  of  able  corps  and  division 
commanders,  conspicuous  for  their  ability  in  previous 
fields, — men  like  Stoneman,  Kilpatrick,  Palmer,  Wood, 
Johnson,  Davis,  Rousseau,  Newton,  Geary,  Williams, 
Baird,  and  Brannan. 

At  an  interview  which  General  Sherman  had  with  the 
lieutenant-general,  within  a  week  after  his  promotion,  the 


GENERAL   SHEKMAN.  129 

plans  for  the  coming  campaign  were  fully  discussed,  and 
it  was  agreed  that  a  simultaneous  forward  movement  of 
the  Eastern  and  Western  armies  should  be  made  early  in 
May,  the  one  having  Richmond,  and  the  other  Atlanta, 
for  its  objective.  Less  than  two  months  remained  be- 
fore the  time  of  making  this  movement,  and  in  that  time 
a  vast  amount  of  supplies  must  be  sent  forward  to  Chat- 
tanooga, sufficient  for  at  least  sixty  days  beyond  the  cur- 
rent expenditure  of  the  army ;  arms,  ammunition,  and 
cannon  must  be  collected  in  immense  quantities ;  the 
scattered  army  corps  concentrated  at  Chattanooga,  and  , 
thoroughly  reorganized  and  trained ;  the  cavalry  re- 
mounted, and  increased  in  numbers  and  efficiency,  and 
all  the  details  for  a  gigantic  campaign  completed. 
With  that  promptness  and  celerity  which  has  uni- 
formly characterized  his  operations,  General  Sherman, 
while  visiting  all  the  posts  and  garrisons  of  his  com- 
mand, took  measures  to  perfect  all  these  arrangements, 
and  accomplished  them  so  thoroughly,  that  on  the  7th 
of  May  he  moved  forward  with  his  army  from  its  several 
camps  at  Ringgold,  Gordon's  mill,  and  Red  Clay.  His 
grand  army  numbered  ninety-eight  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred and  ninety-seven  effective  men,  and  two  hundred 
and  fifty-four  pieces  of  artillery.  It  was  divided  as  fol- 
lows :  The  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  Major-General 
Thomas  commanding,  sixty  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  seventy-three  men,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty 
guns ;  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  Major-General  Mc- 
Pherson  commanding,  twenty-four  thousand  four  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  men,  and  ninety-six  guns  ;  the  Army 
of  the  Ohio,  Major-General  Schofield  commanding,  thir- 
teen thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty-nine  men,  and 
twenty-eight  guns.  Of  these  ti'oops,  six  thousand  one 
hundred  and  forty-nine  were  cavalry,  four  thousand  four 


130  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

hundred  and  sixty  artillery,  and  the  remainder  infantry. 
The  force  opposed  to  him  consisted  of  Hardee's,  Hood's, 
and  Folk's  corps,  the  whole  under  the  command  of 
General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  and  numbered,  according  to 
General  Johnston's  report,  about  forty-five  thousand, 
of  whom  four  thousand  were  cavalry.  The  rebels  re- 
ceived during  the  campaign,  according  to  the  same  re- 
port, reinforcements  to  the  amount  of  about  twenty-one 
thousand,  of  which  nearly  seven  thousand  were  cavalry. 
Sherman's  army  received  only  a  sufficient  number  of  re- 
inforcements, and  men  returning  from  furlough  and  hos- 
pital, to  keep  his  army  about  tip  to  the  original  standard  ; 
while  Johnston  represents  the  number  of  troops  turned 
over  to  Hood  as  about  six  thousand  greater  than  that 
with  which  he  commenced  the  campaign,  although  he 
acknowledged  a  loss  of  about  fifteen  thousand  previ- 
ous to  the  battles  near  Atlanta. 

The  two  armies  were  very  differently  situated  in  one 
respect.  Johnston's,  if  compelled  to  fall  back,  would  be 
only  approaching  nearer  to  his  base  of  supplies  ;  while 
Sherman,  already  fully  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
from  his  primary  base  at  Louisville,  and  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five  from  his  secondary  base  at  Nashville, 
was  compelled  at  every  step  for  ward -to  increase  the  dis- 
tance, while  his  lines  of  communication  were  one,  or,  for 
part  of  the  way,  two  lines  of  railroad,  and  some  slight  as- 
sistance, at  certain  stages  of  river  navigation,  from  the 
Tennessee  river.  To  guard  this  long  line  of  communi- 
cations from  the  roving  bands  of  rebel  guerrillas,  as  well 
as  the  regular  cavalry  of  the  rebel  army,  was,  in  itself,  no 
easy  task,  and  by  most  generals  would  have  been  re- 
garded as  entirely  impracticable,  while  every  stage  of 
progress  towards  his  objective,  one  hundred  and  thirty 
miles  distant  from  Chattanooga,  only  added  to  his  diffi- 


GENERAL    SHEKMAN.  131 

culties.  The  rebel  authorities  constantly  prophesied  his 
utter  discomfiture  from  this  cause  alone,  and  continually 
declared,  till  the  phrase  became  a  by-word,  that  they 
had  "  now  got  Sherman  just  where  they  wanted  him." 
Yet  it  is  one  of  the  best  evidences  of  his  skilful  general- 
ship that,  during  a  campaign  of  more  -than  five  months, 
General  Sherman  kept  this  line  of  nearly  five  hundred 
miles  of  communications  wholly  within  his  own  control, 
and,  with  rare  ability,  turned  every  effort  of  the  enemy 
to  sever  or  destroy  his  lines  to  their  own  signal  disad- 
vantage. 

The  portion  of  Northern  Georgia  through  which 
General  Sherman  must  necessarily  penetrate  in  order  to 
reach  Atlanta,  the  goal  of  his  hopes,  is  characterized  by 
peculiar  topographical  features.  Parallel  ridges  of  hills 
of  considerable  height,  and  with  bold  rugged  faces  and 
narrow  and  steep  defiles,  with  valleys  often  gloomy  and 
dark,  threaded  by  rapid  and  generally  deep  streams, 
extend  from  north  to  south,  broken  through,  in  an  east 
and  west  line  only,  by  the  Coosa  river  and  its  principal 
affluent,  the  Etowah.  South  of  this  latter  river  the 
country  is  somewhat  more  open,  though  broken  by 
isolated  peaks  and  narrow  passes,  and  presenting  a 
rough  and  difficult  region  for  military  movements.  The 
route  of  the  Chattanooga  and  Atlanta  railroad  was 
through  several  of  these  mountain  passes  or  gaps ;  and 
these,  in  addition  to  their  great  natural  strength,  had 
been  carefully  fortified,  and  were  impregnable  to  an  at- 
tack in  front.  General  Johnston,  an  officer  inferior  in 
ability  to  no  one  in  the  rebel  army,  had  made  the  most 
herculean  exertions  to  prepare  against  every  possible 
contingency  of  attack  from  the  Union  forces,  and 
throughout  the  campaign  displayed  extraordinary  skill 
in  falling  back,  when  compelled  to  retreat  from  one 


132  OUR   GREAT  CAPTAINS. 

stronghold  to  another,  in  such  a  way  as  to  lose  neither 
prisoners  nor  material. 

The  first  point  to  be  carried  was  Dalton,  a  position  of 
great  strength,  occupied  by  a  part  of  Johnston's  force, 
which  extended  to  Buzzard's  Roost  gap,  a  high  and 
narrow  defile  in  the  Great  Rocky-faced  Ridge,  a  spur 
from  the  Chattpogata  mountain.  This  defile,  which  was 
protected  by  a  strong  abatis,  artificially  flooded  with  the 
waters  of  Mill  creek,  and  commanded  by  batteries  which 
swept  every  foot  of  it,  was  the  only  gateway  to  Dalton 
from  the  northwest,  and  through  it  the  railway  passed. 
General  Sherman  sent  McPherson's  troops,  by  way  of 
Snake  Creek  gap,  towards  Resaca,  a  town  lying  on  the 
railroad,  eighteen  miles  below  Dalton,  and  subsequently 
(on  the  10th  of  May)  ordered  Hooker's  and  Palmer's 
corps,  and  Schofield's  Army  of  the  Ohio  (Twenty-third 
corps),  to  follow;  while  Thomas,  at  first  with  his  whole 
army,  and  subsequently  with  Howard's  corps,  demon- 
strated vigorously  against  Buzzard  Roost  gap.  Johnston, 
finding  that  he  was  outflanked,  fell  back  over  a  good 
road  to  Resaca,  which  he  reached  before  McPherson  had 
been  able  to  attack;  and  Ho  ward,  passing  the  gap,  entered 
Dalton  and  pressed  on  Johnston's  rear.  Arrived  at 
Resaca,  and  occupying  a  strong  position,  Johnston  pre- 
pared to  give  battle ;  but  while  preparing  to  gratify  him 
with  a  fight,  General  Sherman  had  pontooned  the  Oosta- 
naula,  which  flows  south  of  Resaca,  and  sent  Sweeney's 
division  forward  to  threaten  Calhoun,  the  next  point  of 
importance  on  the  railroad,  while  he  dispatched  also  a 
cavalry  division  to  break  the  railroad  still  further  south, 
between  Calhoun  and  Kingston,  thus  compelling  a 
further  retreat  in  any  event.  On  the  14th,  there  was 
heavy  fighting  in  front  of  Resaca,  without  any  perceptible 
advantage  being  gained  by  the  Union  troops,  but  on  the 


GENERAL    SHERMAN.  133 

loth  the  attack  was  renewed,  and  Hooker's  corps  gained 
one  of  Johnston's  strongest  positions,  capturing  four  guns 
and  many  prisoners.  That  night,  Johnston  ascertaining  the 
danger  of  being  flanked,  escaped  with  his  army,  burning 
the  bridge  over  the  Oostanaula  behind  him. 

The  losses  of  the  Union  army  in  these  battles  had  been 
heavy,  nearly  5,000,  a  large  proportion  of  whom,  how- 
ever, were  but  slighty  wounded,  and  soon  returned  to 
duty.  Johnston's  loss  was  not  far  from  3,500,  a  thou- 
sand of  whom  were  prisoners,  eight  guns,  and  a  consider- 
able amount  of  stores.  After  the  evacuation,  Sherman 
pressed  on  in  pursuit,  detaching,  on  the  17th,  Jefferson 
C.  Davis's  division  of  the  Fourteenth  corps  to  Rome, 
which  was  captured  and  garrisoned.  The  rebel  army 
was  overtaken  at  Adairsville,  and  a  sharp  artillery  en- 
gagement ensued,  when  they  continued  their  retreat ; 
and  on  the  18th,  after  some  heavy  skirmishing,  Johnston 
crossed  the  Etowah,  and  Kingston  fell  into  Sherman's 
hands,  and  he  gave  his  troops  a  few  days  of  needed  rest, 
while  he  superintended  the  repair  of  the  railroads,  the 
reopening  communications  to  the  Chattanooga,  and  the 
bringing  forward  of  supplies  for  his  army. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  having  supplied  his  men  with 
twenty  days'  rations,  General  Sherman  moved  forward, 
this  time  leaving  the  route  of  the  railroad,  which,  just 
after  crossing  the  Etowah,  entered  a  long  and  dangerous 
defile  known  as  Allatoona  Pass,  and  turning  directly 
southward,  advanced  towards  Dallas,  which  would  en- 
able him  to  flank  the  pass.  Johnston,  in  order  to  pro- 
tect his  railroad  communication,  was  compelled  to  leave 
his  fortified  lines  and  advance  upon  Sherman's  army. 
His  cavalry  first  came  in  collision  with  Hooker's  corps 
at  Burnt  Hickory,  on  the  24th;  and  on  the  25th  again 
at  Pumpkinvine  creek,  which  ended  in  a  general  though 
12 


134:  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAIN8. 

not  severe  engagement  near  Dallas.  Then  followed,  the 
same  day,  the  severe  struggle  near  New  Hope  church, 
with  heavy  losses  on  both  sides ;  and  after  three  days' 
skirmishing  and  manoeuvring,  the  bold  and  daring  as- 
sault of  Johnston  on  McPherson  at  Dallas  on  the  28th, 
which  resulted  in  the  repulse  of!  the  rebels  with  fearful 
slaughter,  their  loss  being  over  three  thousand,  and 
McPherson's  less  than  one  thousand.  During  these  four 
days  of  battle,  Sherman  had  been  extending  bis  lines  to 
the  left  to  envelop  the  rebel  right,  and  occupied  all  the 
roads  leading  eastward  to  Allatoona  and  Ackworth. 
After  the  bloody  battle  at  Dallas,  General  Sherman  sent 
his  cavalry  to  seize  and  occupy  Allatoona  Pass,  in  the  mean 
time  making' demonstrations  looking  to  a  further  move- 

o  o 

ment  southward ;  but  on  the  1st  of  June  he  pushed 
McPherson  rapidly  to  the  left,  and  reached  Ackworth. 
Johnston  sullenly  abandoned  his  position  at  New  Hope 
church,  and  on  the  4th  of  June  fell  back  to  Kenesaw 
mountain.  General  Sherman  now  examined  Allatoona 
Pass  in  person,  and  finding  it  admirably  adapted  for  a 
secondary  base,  which  he  needed  in  that  vicinity,  had  it 
fortified  and  garrisoned,  and  the  railroad  communications 
repaired,  and  on  the  9th  of  June  full  supplies  were 
brought  into  his  camp  from  Chattanooga  by  rail.  Re- 
ceiving reinforcements  here,  he  moved  forward,  and  be- 
gan again  to  press  Johnston  in  his  strongly  fortified  po- 
sition, extending  in  a  triangle,  and  covering  the  northern 
slopes  of  Pine,  Kenesaw,  and  Lost  mountains.  On  the 
llth  of  June  he  made  his  dispositions  to  break  the  rebel 
line  between  Kenesaw  and  Pine  mountains.  There  was 
considerable  artillery  practice  for  several  days,  and  on 
the  14th  the  rebel  General  Polk  was  killed. 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th  it  was  found  that  General 
Johnston  had  abandoned  Pine  mountain,  and  maintained 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  135 

a  strongly  intrenched  line  between  Kenesaw  and  Lost 
mountains.  Pressing  him.  again,  and  assaulting  his  lines, 
General  Sherman  compelled  him  to  give  up  Lost  moun- 
tain, and  the  works  connecting  it  with  Kenesaw ;  and, 
as  the  Union  army  still  crowded  upon  him,  he  partially 
changed  his  position,  and  making  Kenesaw  his  salient, 
covered  Marietta  with  his  right  wing,  and  intrenched  his 
left  behind  Nose's  creek,  thus  securing  his  railroad  line. 
Still  the  relentless  pressure  continued,  the  crossing  of 
the  Chattahoochie,  near  Sandtown,  being  threatened. 
On  the  22d,  Hood's  corps  sallied  and  assaulted  the 
Union  lines,  but  were  repulsed  with  heavy  loss,  some 
seven  or  eight  hundred  being  killed,  wounded,  or  cap- 
tured. The  time  had  come  when  Sherman  must  either 
assault  Johnston's  position,  or  again  make  the  effort  to 
outflank  him ;  and  believing  that  the  effect  of  an  assault, 
even  if  repulsed,  would  be  better  on  the  morale  of  his 
army  than  a  flank  movement  at  that  time,  he  ordered  an 
assault  at  two  points  on  the  27th.  It  was  repulsed  by 
the  rebels  with  great  loss  on  the  part  of  Sherman's  army 
in  killed  and  wounded,  nearly  three  thousand  being  put 
hors  de  combat,  while  the  enemy,  being  behind  their  in- 
trenchments,  received  but  little  damage.  The  Union 
troops  were  not,  however,  in  the  least  disheartened,  and 
Sherman,  by  a  skilful  manoeuvre  (throwing  McPherson's 
entire  corps  forward  towards  the  Chattahoochie),  com- 
pelled the  evacuation  of  Marietta  on  the  2d  of  July,  and 
the  Union  army  entered  it  next  morning.  He  at  once 
moved  upon  the  enemy,  hoping  to  find  him  in  confusion 
in  the  crossing  of  the  Chattahoochie  ;  but  the  rebel  com- 
mander had  provided  well  against  any  chances  of  danger, 
and  remained  strongly  intrenched  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  river  till  the  5th  of  July,  when  another  flank  move- 
ment of  Sherman,  accompanied  by  active  skirmishing, 


136  OUK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

compelled  him  to  cross,  which  he  did  in  good  order,  pro- 
tecting his  crossing  by  a  strong  tete-du-pont.  On  the 
7th  of  July,  General  Schofield  effected  a  strong  and  com- 
manding lodgment  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river,  sur- 
prising the  rebel  guard,  capturing  a  gun,  and  laying  a 
good  pontoon  and  trestle-work  bridge,  and  two  days 
later,  General  .Sherman  had  secured  three  good  points 
for  passing  the  river ;  and  Johnston,  who  till  that  time 
had  held  his  position  on  the  river-bank,  now  found  him- 
self compelled  to  fall  back  to  Atlanta,  and  leave  Sher- 
man indisputable  master  of  the  Chatt'ahoochie.  Atlanta 
was  but  eight  miles  distant,  and  strong  as  it  undoubtedly 
was,  General  Sherman  was  determined  to  capture  it. 
But  first  he  found  it  necessary  to  give  his  troops  a  little 
rest;  and  meanwhile  he  put  in  operation  a  plan  for  cut- 
ting off  Johnston's  supplies,  which  was  characteristic  as 
showing  the  mental  grasp  and  far-reaching  foresight  of 
the  man  in  all  military  movements.  He  knew  that  when 
Johnston  had  crossed  the  Chattahoochie  his  supplies 
must  come  mainly  from  the  direction  of  the  Montgomery, 
Atlanta,  and  West  Point  railroad,  as  Central  and  South- 
ern Alabama,  Georgia,  and  Mississippi  were  the  source 
from  which  the  beef,  pork,  and  corn  were  derived. 
Foreseeing  that  he  should  drive  him  to  Atlanta,  he  had 
collected  a  force  of  two  thousand  cavalry,  well-appointed, 
at  Decatur,  Alabama,  more  than  two  hundred  miles  in 
his  rear,  and  had  sent  them  orders,  on  receiving  notice 
by  telegraph,  to  push  immediately  south,  and  break  the 
railroad  from  Montgomery,  at  Opelika,  and  as  far  as  pos- 
sible cast  and  west  from  that  point,  and  then  move  on  to 
join  him  at  Marietta.  This  would  also  prevent  Johnston 
from  receiving  reinforcements  from  Mobile  or  other 
points  west.  The  order  was  given  on  the  9th,  and  the 
'cavalry,  under  the  command  of  the  gallant  Rousseau, 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  137 

marched  at  once,  and  within  twelve  days  had  broken  up 
thirty  miles  of  the  railroad,  defeated  the  rebel  General 
Clanton,  and  reached  Marietta  on  the  22d,  with  a  loss  of 
only  thirty  men.  Roswell,  and  the  extensive  factories  of 
army  clothing  for  the  rebels  there,  were  burned  on  the 
7th  of  July. 

On  the  17th  of  July,  the  grand  army  moved  forward, 
and  formed  its  lines  on  the  Peach-tree  road ;  and  while 
Thomas  was  crossing  Peach-tree  creek  in  force  by  means 
of  numerous  bridges,  thrown  over  in  face  of  the  enemy's 
intrenched  lines,  McPherson  and  Schofield  had  swung 
round  upon  the  Augusta  railroad,  beyond  Decatur,  and 
broken  it  effectually.  There  was  heavy  fighting  daily 
during  these  movements,  and,  on  the  20th  of  July,  Gen- 
eral Hood  (who  had  succeeded  Johnston  in  the  command 
of  the  rebel  army  on  the  17th)  made  a  sudden  and  des- 
perate assault  upon  the  Union  lines,  aiming  to  take 
advantage  of  a  gap  between  Newton's  division,  of  How- 
ard's corps,  and  Johnson's,  of  Palmer's  corps.  These 
two  divisions,  and  the  remainder  of  Hooker's  corps,  sus- 
tained the  full  brunt  of  the  attack  of  Hood's  entire  army, 
and  after  a  terrible  battle  drove  the  enemy  back  to  his 
intrenchments,  with  a  loss  of  full  five  thousand  men, 
while  the  Union  loss  was  only  seventeen  hundred  and 
thirty-three,  which  fell  almost  entirely  on  Hooker's  corps, 
all  of  which,  except  Newton's  corps,  went  into  the  fight 
without  their  usual  intrenchments.  On  the  22d,  Hood 
having  fallen  back  from  his  line  of  defence  along  Peach- 
tree  creek  to  his  final  interior  position  of  redoubts,  form- 
ing 'the  outer  line  of  the  defences  of  Atlanta  proper, 
resolved  to  stake  all  lipon  a  single  die,  and  putting 
force  enough  into  his  intrenchments  to  hold  them, 
massed  all  the  rest  of  his  army,  and  hurled  it  with  terri- 
ble force  against  Sherman's  left.  At  first  a  part  of  the 
12* 


138  OUR   GliEAT   CAPTAINS. 

Union  lines  gave  way,  for  McPherson's  position  was 
not  fully  established;  but  they  soon  rallied,  and  grew 
stronger  under  the  assaults  of  the  enemy.  Six  times  did 
Hood  fling  his  massed  columns  on  the  Union  lines,  at- 
tacking in  turn  the  Fifteenth,  Sixteenth,  and  Seventeenth 
corps,  but  at  night,  after  one  of  the  bloodiest  and  most 
skilfully  fought  battles  of  the  war,  victory  perched 
on  the  Union  banners.  Thirty-two  hundred  and  forty  of 
the  enemy's  dead,  a  vast  number  of  his  wounded,  and 
ten  hundred  and  seventeen  unhurt  prisoners  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Union  troops.  Hood's  entire  loss  could 
not  have  been  less  than  twelve  thousand.  Five  thousand 
stand  of  arms,  and  eighteen  stand  of  colors  were  cap- 
tured. The  Union  loss,  by  official  count,  was  seventeen 
hundred  and  twenty-two;  but  among  the  slain  was 
Major-General  James  B.  JVlcPherson,  the  commander  of 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  one  of  the  ablest  and 
most  skilful  officers  in  the  Union  service.  His  loss  was 
a  great  national  misfortune ;  and  none  felt  it  more  deeply 
than  General  Sherman.  On  receiving  intelligence  of  his 
death,  he  was  affected  to  tears,  and  in  his  report  he  al- 
ludes to  it  in  terms  which  show  how  tenderly  he  loved 
him.  "He  was,"  he  says,  "a  noble  youth,  of  striking 
personal  appearance,  of  the  highest  professional  capacity, 
and  with  a  heart  abounding  in  kindness,  that  drew  to 
him  the  affections  of  all  men." 

General  Sherman  had  on  the  21st  sent  General  Gar- 
rard  with  a  cavalry  force  to  break  the  Augusta  railroad, 
and  destroy  the  bridges  over  the  Yellow  and  Ulcofau- 
hatchee  rivers  in  the  vicinity  of  Covington,  Georgia  ;  and 
on  the  23d  he  returned,  having  completely  accomplished 
that  work,  and,  in  addition,  burned  a  train  of  cars, 
2,000  bales  of  cotton,  and  large  amounts  of  stores  at 
Covington  and  Conyer's  station,  and  brought  in  200 


GENEEAL    SHERMAN.  139 

prisoners.  General  Sherman  now  planned  a  more  ex- 
tensive expedition,  having  for  its  object  the  destruction 
of  the  Atlanta  and  Macon  as  well  as  the  West  Point 
railroad,  his  intention  being  to  isolate  Atlanta  from  all  its 
communications,  and  thus  compel  its  surrender.  The 
expedition  was  to  consist  of  two  columns,  one  of  5,000 
cavalry,  under  the  command  of  General  Stoneman,  a 
cavalry  officer  of  high  reputation,  the  other  of  4,000 
mounted  troops,  under  command  of  General  McCook. 
They  were  to  move  off  in  different  directions,  one  to. 
wards  McDonough,  the  other  towards  Fayetteville,  and 
having  done  what  they  could  separately,  unite  at  or  near 
Lovejoy's  station,  and  destroy  the  Macon  road  thoroughly 
for  many  miles.  General  Stoneman  asked  permission, 
after  this  was  accomplished,  to  take  his  own  proper  com- 
mand, and  go  on  to  release  the  Union  prisoners,  then 
suffering  at  Andersonville.  General  McOook  performed 
his  part  of  the  work  speedily  and  well,  but  from  some 
unexplained  cause,  General  Stoneman  failed  completely, 
and  was  himself  taken  prisoner  with  several  hundred  of 
his  men,  and  McCook  was  placed  in  a  critical  position, 
and  compelled  to  fight  his  way  out.  The  whole  expedi- 
tion proved  a  failure,  and  lost  to  the  commanding  gen- 
eral a  very  considerable  portion  of  his  cavalry,  which  he 
could  not  well  afford  to  lose. 

On  the  28th  of  July,  Hood,  having  been  led  by  the 
purposed  movements  of  the  Union  troops  of  the  Fifteenth 
corps  to  believe  that  he  could  catch  the  right  flank  of  the 
army  "in  air,"  again  massed  his  forces,  and  assaulted 
that  part  of  the  Union  lines  with  the  utmost  desperation, 
repeating  his  assaults  six  times,  but  found  the  Union  forces 
perfectly  ready  for  him  on  each  occasion,  his  men  only 
reaching  their  lines  to  be  killed  or  hauled  over  as  pris- 
oners. His  loss  in  that  battle  was  fully  5,000,  while  Lo- 


140  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

gan,  whose  corps  was  the  one  principally  engaged,  lost 
less  than  600.  In  the  three  battles  of  the  20th,  22d,  and 
28th  of  July,  Hood  had  thus  nearly  one  half  of  his  force 
thrown  hors  da  combat,  for  Johnston  states  in  his  report 
that  the  troops  he  transferred  to  him  on  the  17th  of  July 
consisted  of  about  41,000  infantry  and  artillery,  and  10,000 
cavalry.  He  received,  however,  about  this  time  a  con- 
siderable reinforcement  of  the  Georgia  militia,  who, 
though  of  little  value  for  purposes  of  assault,  were  ser- 
viceable as  garrison  troops,  and  mingled  with  his  veter- 
ans, who  had  no  appetite  for  further  offensive  warfare, 
lay  safely  ensconced  behind  the  impregnable  defences  of 
Atlanta. 

General  Sherman  now  extended  his  lines  southwest- 
ward  towards  East  Point,  in  the  hope  of  drawing  the 
enemy  out,  from  the  fear  of  having  his  communications 
severed ;  but  Hood  extended  his  fortified  line  correspond- 
ingly, and  refused  to  abandon  his  works.  It  began  to 
be  evident  that  Atlanta  could  only  be  captured  by 
another  flank  movement  of  the  whole  army,  a  matter  of 
great  difficulty,  as  it  involved  the  apparent  raising  of  the 
siege,  and  the  dependence  of  his  army  for  supplies  on  the 
stores  accumulated  at  Marietta,  from  which  he  must 
necessarily  be  separated  by  the  Chattahoochie  river,  and 
a  considerable  distance  of  travel  over  bad  roads.  He 
therefore  resolved  to  try  first  the  expedient  of  a  bom- 
bardment of  the  city,  and,  if  unsuccessful  in  that,  to  try 
again  the  flanking  process.  Just  at  this  juncture,  he 
learned  that  the  rebel  General  Wheeler  with  the  greater 
part  of  Hood's  cavalry  had  gone  northward  to  attack  his 
communications  between  Allatoona  and  Chattanooga, 
and  as  he  had  abundant  supplies  below  that  point,  he 
welcomed  this  movement  as  taking  the  rebel  cavalry  out 
of  the  way,  and  leaving  him  a  fair  field.  He  now  dis- 


OKNERAL    SHERMAN.  14:1 

patched  Kilpatrick  with  5,000  cavalry  to  break  the 
West  Point  and  Macon  railroads  so  thoroughly  as  to  ren- 
der them  impassable.  This,  General  Kilpatrick  attempted 
to  do,  but  in  the  haste  with  which  he  operated,  he  did 
not  disable  the  roads  sufficiently  to  prevent  their  speedy 
repair,  and  General  Sherman  found  it  necessary  to  move 
his  whole  army.  Accordingly,  on  the  night  of  the  25th 
of  August  he  commenced  the  movement,  sending  the 
Twentieth  corps,  now  under  the  command  of  General  II. 
S.Williams,  back  to  the  Chattahoochie,  and  with  it  all  sur- 
plus wagons,  ambulances,  and  incumbrances  of  all  kinds, 
as  well  as  all  the  sick  and  wounded,  who  were  carefully 
placed  within  the  strongly  intrenched  position  there. 
Schofield  remained  in  position,  and  the  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee moved  westward  towards  Sandtown  and  Camp 
creek,  as  if  about  to  cross  the  Chattahoochie,  Avhile  the 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  proceeded  in  the  same  di- 
rection, though  not  so  far.  Hood  congratulated  his 
troops  that  the  siege  of  Atlanta  was  raised,  and  that  the 
Union  army,  alarmed  for  its  communications,  menaced 
by  Wheeler,  was  about  to  turn  back  to  rescue  them. 
On  the  night  of  the  27th,  Shei'man's  troops  had  reached 
the  West  Point  railroad,  in  the  vicinity  of  East  Point 
and  below,  and  the  28th  was  devoted  to  the  destruction 
of  that  road,  twelve  and  a  half  miles  of  which  were  so  ef- 
fectually obliterated,  that  there  was  no  danger  of  their  be- 
ing renewed  for  months,  and  on  the  29th,  the  army  was 
directed  to  move  on  the  Macon  road,  and  when  opportu- 
nity occuri-ed,  destroy  that  in  the  same  way.  They 
marched  in  three  columns,  and  on  the  29th,  30th,  and 
31st,  had  considerable  skirmishing  with  Lee's  and  Har- 
dee's  corps,  which  Hood  had  sent  to  oppose  them  as 
soon  as  he  found  that  it  was  his  communications  in- 
stead of  their  own  that  the  Union  troops  were*  bent  on 


142  ODK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

occupying.  General  Howard  had  some  fighting  (he  was 
now  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee)  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  30th  with  the  rebel  cavalry;  and  on  the 
31st,  Lee  and  Hardee  attacked  him  in  his  temporary  in- 
trenchments,  near  Jonesboro,  and  were  repulsed  with  a 
loss  of  not  less  than  twenty-five  hundred.  On  the  1st  of 
September,  the  Macon  railroad  was  destroyed  for  several 
miles,  and  General  J.  C.  Davis,  supported  by  Howard 
and  Blair,  assaulted  Lee  and  Hardee,  and  defeated  them, 
capturing  one  brigade  and  two  four-gun  batteries.  The 
next  day  they  pursued  the  enemy  as  far  as  Lovejoy's 
station. 

Meanwhile,  on  the  night  of  the  first  of  September, 
Hood  blew  up  his  ammunition  trains,  and  retreated  south- 
ward from  Atlanta,  which  was  occupied  the  next  day  by 
the  Twentieth  corps.  The  remainder  of  the  army  came 
back  by  easy  marches  to  Atlanta,  and  General  Sherman, 
having  determined  to  make  Atlanta  a  strictly  military 
post,  directed  the  removal  of  all  the  civilians  fr.om  it, 
sending  those  who  were  loyal  northward,  and  turning 
the  disloyal  over  to  General  Hood,  with  such  precau- 
tions for  the  prevention  of  suffering  as  could  be  devised. 

Hood,  smarting  under  a  sense  of  being  thoroughly 
outgeneralled,  was  exceedingly  restive,  and  determined 
to  revenge  himself  on  his  skilful  antagonist.  The  loss  of 
Atlanta  was  a  severe  one  to  the  leaders  of  the  self-styled 
Confederacy,  and  they,  too,  were  determined  that  they 
would  not  only  win  it  back,  but  would  recover  Northern 
Georgia  and  East  and  Middle  Tennessee.  The  rebel 
president,  in  a  speech  delivered  at  Macon  in  the  latter 
part  of  September,  declared  that  this  should  be  accom- 
plished, and  gave  his  instructions  to  General  Hood  for 
effecting  it.  On  the  24th  of  September,  Hood  suddenly 
transferred  his  army,  which  had  been  encamped  near 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  143 

Lovejoy's  station  on  the  Macon  railroad,  to  Newnan  on 
the  West  Point  road.  Sherman  kept  a  watchful  eye 
upon  his  movements,  and  reconnoitred  frequently  in  his 
vicinity.  On  the  27th  of  September,  he  discovered  that 
he  was  moving  towards  the  Chattahoochie  ;  and  on  the 
1st  of  October,  that  he  had  crossed  that  river  and  concen- 
trated his  forces  at  Powder  Springs,  near  Dallas,  Ga. 
On  the  3d  of  October,  General  Sherman,  who  had  previ- 
ously strengthened  his  garrisons  along  the  railroad, 
started  in  pursuit,  and  on  the  5th,  when  Hood's  advanco 
assaulted  Allatoona,  he  was  on  Kenesaw  mountain,  signal- 
ling to  the  garrison  at  Allatoona,  over  the  heads  of  the 
enemy,  to  hold  out  till  he  relieved  them.  The  rebels 
were  repulsed  at  this  point  with  heavy  loss,  and  finding 
themselves  pressed  in  the  rear  by  Sherman's  forces,  they 
moved  westward,  and  crossing  the  Etovvah  and  Oosta- 
naula  rivers  by  forced  marches,  attacked  Dalton  on  the 
12th,  which  was  surrendered  by  the  cowardly  officer  in 
command.  Finding  himself  still  pressed  by  Sherman, 
Hood  obstructed  Snake  Creek  gap,  and  crossing  through 
the  gap  in  Pigeon  mountain,  entered  Lafayette,  whither 
Sherman  followed  and  sought  to  bring  on  a  battle.  This 
Hood  was  not  anxious  for,  and  he  accordingly  retreated 
southward  to  Gadsden,  Ala.,  where  he  intrenched  him- 
self, taking  possession  of  Will's  Creek  gap  in  Lookout 
mountain.  Sherman  followed  him  to  Gaylesville,  but  no 
further. 

It  was  generally  supposed  that  this  was  the  end  of 
Hood's  raid  upon  the  Union  lines  of  communication,  and 
that  he  would  retreat  still  further  south,  te  wards  central 
Alabama  and  Mississippi.  But  Sherman  had  better  com- 
prehended his  strategy,  and  was  prepared  to  meet  it  by 
a  stroke  of  counter-strategy,  evincing  his  possession  of 
the  highest  order  of  military  genius.  He  knew  that 


OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

Dick  Taylor  had  moved  up  to  Tuscumbia,  Alabama,  and 
reasoned  that  Hood  would  join  him,  and  the  two,  serving 
under  Beauregard  would  strike  a  blow  ere  long  for  the 
recovery  of  Middle  Tennessee  ;  and  if  successful,  then 
for  East  Tennessee  also.  But  he  felt  that  Tennessee 
would  be  safe  in  charge  of  his  trusty  lieutenant,  General 
Thomas,  to  whom  he  could  assign  a  force  sufficient  to 
grapple  with  Hood,  Taylor,  or  Beauregard ;  while  for 
himself  he  had  projected  a  campaign  which  would  speedily 
cripple  the  power  of  the  rebels.  Turning  eastward 
then  from  Gaylesville,  he  announced  to  his  army  that  he 
should  follow  Hood  no  longer,  but  let  him  go  north  as 
far  as  he  pleased.  "  If  he  will  go  to  the  river,"  he  said, 
"  I  will  give  him  his  rations."  Giving  his  instructions  to 
General  Thomas,  and  dividing  his  army  so  as  to  spare 
him  a  part  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  and  the 
Army  of  the  Ohio,  he  moved  southeast  towards  Atlanta 
by  the  1st  of  November,  causing  the  railroad  track  to  be 
removed  from  Atlanta  to  Chattanooga,  and  sent  to  the 
latter  city, — the  property  of  value  at  Atlanta  and  along 
the  line  having  been  first  sent  to  Chattanooga,  which 
thenceforward  became  the  outpost  of  the  Union  armies 
in  that  direction.  On  the  4th  of  November  he  began 
his  preparations  for  his  new  movement,  and  the  same 
day  telegraphed  his  intentions  to  Washington,  in  the 
following  words:  "Hood  has  crossed  the  Tennessee. 
Thomas  will  take  care  of  him  and  Nashville,  while 
Schofield  will  not  let  him  into  Chattanooga  or  Knoxville. 
Georgia  and  South  Cai'olina  are  at  my  mercy — and  I 
shall  strike.  Do  not  be  anxious  about  me.  I  am  all 
right."  The  campaign  he  had  projected  was  neither 
more  nor  less  than  this.  With  the  four  corps,  and  the 
fine  cavalry  force  still  under  his  immediate  command,  an 
army  of  not  far  from  sixty  thousand  infantry  and  artillery, 


GENERAL   SHEKMAN.  145 

and  about  ten  thousand  cavalry,  he  purposed  cuttin^ 
loose  from  all  bases,  and  constituting  a  strictly  movable 
column,  with  thirty  or  forty  days'  rations,  and  his  train 
reduced  to  the  smallest  possible  dimensions,  to  move 
south-eastward,  through  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  coun- 
try, upon  Savannah ;  and  thence',  should  circumstances 
favor,  northward  through  South  Carolina  and  North 
Carolina,  to  compel  the  surrender  or  evacuation  of  Rich- 
mond. The  project  was  one  of  the  most  magnificent 
ever  conceived  by  a  military  commander.  The  distances 
were  great,  and  the  obstacles  which  might  be  interposed 
unknown  ;  yet,  impelled  by  a  will  "  that  could  greatly 
dare  and  do,"  while  adopting  all  needful  precautions 
against  surprise  or  disaster,  he  moved  forward  boldly  to 
the  execution  of  his  plan.  As  a  preliminary  step,  he 
deemed  it  necessary  to  destroy  all  the  public  buildings  in 
Atlanta.  He  then  moved  forward  in  two  columns,  Gen- 
eral Howard  commanding  the  right  and  General  Slocum 
the  left,  while  his  cavalry  covered  his  flanks,  and  a  part 
of  it  now  in  advance,  and  now  far  in  rear,  mystified  the 
enemy  continually  as  to  his  intentions. 

General  Howard's  column  moved  through  East  Point, 
Rough  and  Ready,  Griffin,  Jonesboro,  McDonough,  For- 
sythe,  Hillsboro,  Monticello,  and  bridging  the  Ocmulgee 
entered  Milledgeville  on  the  20th  of  November.  Here 
General  Sherman  made  his  headquarters  for  a  few  days, 
while  Howard  moved  on  through  Saundersville,  Gris- 
wold,  towards  Louisville,  the  point  of  rendezvous,  with 
the  left  wing.  That  wing,  under  the  command  of  Gen- 
eral Slocum,  had  meantime  passed  through  Decatur, 
Covington,  Social  Circle,  Madison ;  made  a  feint  of  an 
attack  upon  Macon ;  passed  through'  Buckhead  and 
Queensboro,  and  dividing,  one  detachment  moved  to- 
wards Augusta,  and  the  other  to  Eatonton  and  Sparta. 

18 


14:6  OUR   GREAT    CAPTAINS. 

Uniting  again,  they  entered  Warrenton,  and  thence 
moved  to  Louisville,  where  they  joined  the  right  wing ; 
and  passing  down  the  left  bank  of  the  Ogeechee  to  Mil- 
len,  and  thence  to  the  Savannah  canal,  where  on  the  9th 
of  December,  by  means  of  scouts,  they  communicated 
with  General  Foster  and  Admiral  Dahlgren,  who  had 
been  awaiting  their  arrival.  In  this  whole  march  of 
about  300  miles  neither  of  the  main  columns  had  en- 
countered any  serious  opposition.  There  had  been  oc- 
casional skirmishing,  but  with  very  slight  results.  The 
cavalry  had  had  one  or  two  conflicts  with  Wheeler's 
cavalry,  but  had  repulsed  them  after  a  brief  fight.  The 
rebels  had  concentrated  what  troops  they  could,  includ- 
ing militia  and  conscripts,  into  their  service  to  oppose 
the  daring  march  of  Sherman  ;  but  they  were  not  able  to 
assemble  enough  of  these  to  oppose  any  considerable  re- 
sistance to  his  progress,  and  from  his  feints  upon  Augusta 
'and  Macon  they  were  led  to  throw  them  into  those  cities, 
where  they  were  completely  out  of  his  way.  Bragg,  who 
was  in  command  of  these  troops,  was  thus  beguiled  into 
remaining  at  Augusta,  and  thus  when  Savannah  was  ac- 
tually assailed  could  not  come  to  its  relief.  On  the  13th 
of  December,  General  Sherman  carried  Fort  McAllister 
by  storm.  By  some  strange  oversight  on  the  part  of 
General  Hardee,  who  was  in  command  at  Savannah,  it 
had  a  garrison  of  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  By 
the  capture  of  this  fort,  General  Sherman  could  commu- 
nicate directly  with  the  fleet.  On  the  16th  he  summoned 
the  city  of  Savannah  to  surrender.  General  Hardee  re- 
plied, refusing,  and  announcing  his  determination  to  hold 
the  city  to  the  last.  Thereupon  Sherman  commenced 
investing  the  city,  and  bringing  heavy  siege-guns  into 
position,  he  was  prepared  to  commence  its  bombard- 
ment, his  lines  inclosing  it  on  all  sides,  except  the  north 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  14:7 

and  east,  where  the  river  and  the  Union  causeway  lead- 
ing to  Charleston  were  not  yet  fully  commanded  by  his 
fire.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  20th  the  rebel  ironclads 
moved  up  the  river,  and  commenced  a  furious  fire  on 
the  Union  left,  supported  by  several  of  the  rebel  bat- 
teries. This  fire  was  continued  all  night,  and  under 
cover  of  it  Hardee  escaped  with  his  entire  force,  burning 
the  navy  yard  partially,  and  destroying  such  stores  as 
he  could  not  remove.  The  two  rebel  ironclads  were 
blown  up  during  the  night.  The  next  morning  (Dec. 
21st),  General  Sherman  entered  the  city,  which  was  en- 
tirely uninjured.  The  captures  included  over  one  thou- 
sand prisoners,  one  hundred  and  fifty  guns,  thirteen  lo- 
comotives, one  hundred  and  ninety  cars,  a  large  supply 
of  ammunition  and  materials  of  war,  three  steamers,  and 
thirty-three  thousand  bales  of  cotton  safely  stored  in 
warehouses.  Over  twenty  thousand  slaves,  freed  by  the 
expedition,  accompanied  it  to  Savannah.  The  entire 
losses  of  the  expedition  were  less  than  four  hundred 
men.  It  had  destroyed  over  two  hundred  miles  of  rail- 
road, and  thus  effectually  broken  the  enemy's  communi- 
cations with  Hood's  or  Beauregard's  army  in  Alabama 
and  Tennessee.  Kilpatrick  was  sent  at  once  on  an  ex- 
pedition with  cavalry  and  infantry  to  destroy  thoroughly 
the  Gulf  railroad,  which  he  succeeded  in  doing  for  forty 
or  fifty  miles.  Having  reduced  Savannah  to  order,  and 
conciliated  the  inhabitants  by  his  wise  measures,  General 
Sherman  issued  the  following  congratulatory  order  to  his 
troops : 

"  HEADQUARTERS,  MILITARY  DIVISION  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  ) 
IN  THE  FIELD,  SAVANNAH,  Ga.,  Jan.  8,  1865.     ) 

"  Spesial  Field  Orders,  No.  6. 

"The  general  commanding  announces  to  the  troops 
composing  the  Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi  that 


148  OUK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

he  has  received  from  the  President  of  the  United  States 
and  from  Lieutenant  General  Grant,  letters  conveying 
the  high  sense  and  appreciation  of  the  campaign  just 
closed,  resulting  in  the  capture  of  Savannah  and  the  de- 
feat of  Hood's  army  in  Tennessee. 

In  order  that  all  may  understand  the  importance  of 
events,  it  is  proper  to  revert  to  the  situation  of  affairs  in 
September  last.  We  held  Atlanta,  a  city  of  little  value 
to  us,  but  so  important  to  the  enemy,  that  Mr.  Davis, 
the  head  of  the  rebellious  faction  in  the  South,  visited  his 
army  near  Palmetto,  and  commanded  it  to  regain  it,  as 
well  as  to  ruin  and  destroy  us  by  a  series  of  measures 
which  he  thought  would  be  effectual. 

That  army,  by  a  rapid  march,  first  gained  our  rail- 
road near  Big  Shanty,  and  afterwards  about  Dalton.  "We 
pursued,  but  it  marched  so  rapidly  that  we  could  not 
overtake  it,  and  General  Hood  led  his  army  successfully 
far  towards  Mississippi,  in  hopes  to  decoy  us  out  of  Geor- 
gia. But  we  were  not  then  to  be  led  away  by  him,  and 
purposed  to  control  events  ourselves.  Generals  Thomas 
and  Schofield,  commanding  the  department  to  our  rear, 
returned  to  their  posts,  and  prepared  to  decoy  General 
Hood  into  their  meshes,  while  we  came  on  to  complete 
our  original  journey. 

We  quietly  and  deliberately  destroyed  Atlanta  and  all 
the  railroad  which  the  enemy  had  used  to  carry  on  war 
against  us ;  occupied  his  State  capital,  and  then  captured 
his  commercial  capital,  which  had  been  so  strongly  forti- 
fied from  the  sea  as  to  defy  approach  from  that  quarter. 

Almost  at  the  moment  of  our  victorious  entry  into 
Savannah  came  the  welcome  and  expected  news  that  our 
comrades  in  Tennessee  had  also  fulfilled,  nobly  and  well, 
their  part ;  had  decoyed  General  Hood  to  Nashville,  and 
then  turned  on  him,  defeating  his  army  thoroughly,  cap- 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  149 

turing  all  his  artillery,  great  numbers  of  prisoners,  and 
were  still  pursuing  the  fragments  down  into  Alabama. 
So  complete  a  success  in  military  operations,  extending 
over  half  a  continent,  is  an  achievement  that  entitles  it 
to  a  place  in  the  military  history  of  the  world. 

The  armies  serving  in  Georgia  and  Tennessee,  as 
well  as  the  local  garrisons  of  Decatur,  Bridgeport,  Chat- 
tanooga, and  Murfreesboro,  are  alike  entitled  to  the 
common  honor,  and  each  regiment  may  inscribe  on  its 
colors  at  pleasure  the  words  "  Savannah"  or  "  Nashville." 

The  general  commanding  embraces  in  the  same 
general  success  the  operations  of  the  cavalry  column, 
under  Generals  Stoneman,  Burbridge,  and  Gillem,  that 
penetrated  into  Southwestern  Virginia,  and  paralyzed 
the  efforts  of  the  enemy  to  disturb  the  peace  and  safety 
of  the  people  of  East  Tennessee.  Instead  of  being  put 
on  the  defensive,  we  have,  at  all  points,  assumed  the 
bold  offensive,  and  completely  thwarted  the  designs  of 
the  enemies  of  our  country. 

By  order  of 

Maj.-Gen.  W.  T.  SHERMAN. 

L.  W.  DAYTON,  Aid-de-Camp. 

But  his  work  was  not  yet  completed,  South  Carolina 
was  to  be  humbled,  the  surrender  of  Charleston,  the 
"  nest  of  the  rebellion,"  compelled,  Columbia  to  be  cap- 
tured, and  North  Carolina  to  be  occupied.  His  troops 
refreshed  and  recruited,  and  largely  reinforced,  he  moved 
about  the  14th  of  January,  northward,  the  Fifteenth  and 
Seventeenth  corps  going  by  transports  to  Beaufort,  S.  C., 
and  thence  joined  by  Foster's  command,  moving  on  the 
Savannah  and  Charleston  railroad,  and  the  Fourteenth 
and  Twentieth  corps,  crossing  the  Savannah  river  a  few 
later.  Delayed  at  first  by  the  overflowing  of  the  swamps 
from  the  heavy  rains,  and  the  terrible  condition  of  the 
.  13* 


150  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

roads,  he  struck  the  railroad  between  Branchville  and 
Charleston,  early  in  February,  compelled  the  enemy  to 
evacuate  Branchville  on  the  llth  of  February,  and  broke 
up  the  South  Carolina  railroad,  for  sixty  or  seventy 
miles,  thus  preventing  any  reinforcement  from  the  West, 
and  moved  north,  entering  Orangeburg  on  the  16th  of 
February,  and  Columbia,  the  capital  of  South  Carolina, 
on  the  18th,  Beauregard  having  evacuated  it  in  great 
haste  on  his  approach.  Charleston  being  flanked  by  this 
movement,  its  evacuation  was  compelled  without  a  fight, 
and  Hardee  retreated,  after  setting  fire  to  the  cotton, 
ammunition,  &c.,  which  caused  a  conflagration  which  laid 
two-thirds  of  the  business  portion  of  the  city  in  ashes.  On 
the  morning  of  February  18th,  the  Union  troops  from 
Morris  Island  entered  the  city,  and  the  stars  and  stripes 
once  more  floated  over  the  ruins  of  Fort  Sumter. 

From  Columbia  the  Seventeenth  and  Twentieth  corps 
moved  in  two  columns  upon  Winnsboro,  thirty  miles  north 
on  the  Columbia  and  Charlotte  railroad,  the  Seventeenth 
destroying  the  railroad,  and  twisting  the  rails  so  that 
they  could  not  be  used  again.  From  Winnsboro, 
where  they  found  many  of  the  refugees  from  Charleston 
and  Columbia,  General  Sherman  sent  Kilpatrick's  cav- 
alry still  northward  towards  Chesterville,  to  keep  up  the 
delusion  of  Beauregard,  who  believed  that  he  was  mov- 
ing on  Charlotte,  and  was  laboring  very  diligently  to 
obstruct  his  progress  in  that  direction;  but  Sherman  him- 

*  The  burning  of  a  considerable  portion  of  Columbia,  which 
Wade  Hampton  charged  upon  General  Sherman,  was  really  the 
work  of  degraded  camp  followers,  who  had  become  drunk  on 
whiskey  furnished  by  the  inhabitants.  General  Sherman  exerted 
himself  to  the  utmost  to  extinguish  the  flames,  and  about  twenty 
of  the  soldiers  of  the  right  wing  were  killed  or  seriously  injured 
in  the  effort  to  arrest  the  conflagration. 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  151 

self  with  his  main  army  moved  directly  eastward,  crossing 
the  Catawba  or  Wateree  nearly  east  of  Winnsboro,  and 
moving  his  left  wing  directly  towards  Cheraw,  while 
the  right  threatened  Florence.  It  was  while  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  the  Catawba  that  intelligence  came  of  the  evac- 
uation of  Charleston  as  the  result  of  Sherman's  flanking 
movement,  and  great  were  the  rejoicings  of  the  army 
thereat.  A  heavy  rain  which  came  on  at  this  time,  and 
damaged  General  Howard's  pontoons,  occasioned  some 
delay,  and  enabled  the  rebels  to  concentrate  their  forces 
at  Cheraw  and  its  vicinity.  Thus  far  the  Union  army 
had  encountered  no  serious  opposition  in  its  whole  march 
from  Savannah,  and,  indeed,  had  hardly  seen  any  rebel 
troops ;  but  now  there  seemed  a  prospect  that  the  rebels 
would  make  a  stand,  and  the  Union  leader,  as  cautious 
as  enterprising  and  daring,  made  all  preparations  to  avoid 
a  surprise  or  repulse.  The  left  wing  had  moved  to  Ches- 
terfield, northwest  of  Cheraw,  while  the  right  (Howard's), 
passing  through  Camden,  and  delayed  one  day  by  the 
injury  to  their  pontoons,  had  found,  on  approaching  within 
thirteen  miles  of  Cheraw  fom  the  southwest,  the  enemy's 
pickets  in  their  front,  and  indications  of  a  battle  in  reserve 
not  far  distant.  They  moved  forward,  however,  after  put- 
ting themselves  in  communication  with,  the  left  wing,  and 
on  the  3d  of  March,  after  a  short  and  not  very  severe  battle, 
captured  and  occupied  Cheraw,  taking  twenty-five  pieces 
of  cannon,  and  a  large  quantity  of  small-arms  and  ammuni- 
tion. The  rebel  force  which  opposed  their  progress 
proved  not  to  be  as  large  as  was  at  first  supposed,  consist- 
ing of  a  division  of  Wade  Hampton's  cavalry,  and  the 
infantry  which  had  been  in  Charleston.  They  fled  most 
precipitately  across  the  Great  Pedee,  and  could  not  get 
their  cannon  across,  but  succeeded  in  burning  the  bridge. 
On  the  next  day  (March  4th)  the  army  celebrated  Mr. 


152  OUR   GEE  AT   CAPTAINS. 

* 

Lincoln's  second  inauguration,  firing  a  salute  from  the 
Blakely  guns  captured  from  the  enemy.  A  part  of  these 
cannon,  and  a  large  amount  of  commissary  stores,  suffi- 
cient to  supply  nearly  two  corps  of  Sherman's  army,  had 
been  brought  from  Charleston  to  Cheraw,  as  a  place  of 
safety.  After  leaving  Columbia,  the  rapidly  increasing 
mass  of  refugees,  black  and  white,  who  followed  the 
army,  were  organized  into  an  emigrant  train,  and  put 
under  the  charge  of  the  officers  and  men  who  had  escaped 
from  the  rebel  prisons  at  Salisbury  and  elsewhere  on 
the  route.  Under  the  direction  of  their  escort  they  for- 
aged for  themselves,  and  being  supplied  liberally  with 
horses  and  mules,  wagons  and  other  vehicles,  of  which 
large  numbers  were  taken  along  the  route,  they 
moved  on  with  very  little  expense  or  trouble  to  the 
army.  General  Sherman  had  won  the  good-will  of  the 
negroes,  both  during  this  and  his  Savannah  campaign, 
by  his  thoughtful  interest  in  their  welfare.  On  the  route 
to  Savannah,  as  well  as  in  this  campaign,  he  took  great 
pains  to  make  them  understand  that  they  were  free,  and 
to  aid  them  in  securing  and  maintaining  their  freedom. 
Consulting  at  Savannah  their  preachers  and  most  intelli- 
gent men,  as  to  the  course  best  adapted  to  conduce  to 
their  future  elevation  and  independence,  he  established 
colonies  of  them  on  the  Sea-islands  and  the  coast,  where 
they  could  have  their  lands  in  fee-simple,  and  cultivate 
the  Sea-island  cotton  and  rice,  and  have  schools  and 
churches  established  for  them  ;  and  during  his  campaign 
northward  he  advised  those  who  could  to  go  to  Charleston 
after  its  evacuation,  and  procure  work,  and  commence 
the  life  of  freemen.  To  those  who  followed  the  army  in 
the  emigrant  train,  he  was  uniformly  kind,  and  on  sev- 
eral occasions  explained  to  them  very -clearly  their  new 
condition  and  responsibilities.  The  poor,  ignorant,  but 


GENERAL   SHEEMAN.  153 

truly  loyal  freedmen,  looked  upon  him  as  almost  a  divinity; 
and  it  was  to  them,  at  all  times,  a  sufficient  reason  for 
doing  or  abstaining  from  doing  any  thing,  if  they  learned 
that  "  Massa  Sherman"  wished  it. 

On  the  afternoon  and  night  of  the  6th  of  March,  the 
Union  army  crossed  the  Great  Pedee  river  in  safety,  and 
swept  forward  the  next  day, — the  main  army,  in  four 
columns,  moving  on  Laurel  Hill  and  Montpelier,  North 
Carolina,  and  the  cavalry,  under  Kilpatrick,  guarding  the 
extreme  left,  and  approaching  Rockingham,  North  Car- 
olina, where  they  came  in  contact  with  Butler's  division 
of  Wade  Hampton's  cavalry,  which  they  repulsed  with 
considerable  loss.  The  four  columns,  with  the  cavalry, 
in  moving  from  the  Pedee,  covered  a  belt  of  country 
forty  miles  in  width.  On  the  8th  the  central  columns 
entered  Laurel  Hill,  N.  C.,  and  found  the  people  of 
North  Carolina  much  more  favorably  inclined  towards 
the  Union  than  those  of  South  Carolina.  The  army  now 
refrained  from  destroying  every  thing  in  their  line  of 
march,  as  they  had  done  in  South  Carolina,  and  frater- 
nized to  some  extent  with  the  inhabitants.  .On  the  9th 
of  March  they  crossed  the  Little  Pedee,  or  Lumber 
creek,  as  it  is  called  in  the  higher  part  of  its  course,  and, 
owing  to  the  snaggy  condition  of  the  stream,  built 
bridges  across,  rather  than  use  their  pontoons.  A  long 
and  heavy  rain  delayed  somewhat  their  approach  to 
Fayetteville,  but  that  place  was  reached  on  the  llth  of 
March.  On  the  10th  the  rebel  General  Hampton  ap- 
proached, before  daylight,  Kilpatrick's  headquarters,  at 
Monroe's  plantation,  and  at  first  captured  his  guns,  and 
a  considerable  number  of  prisoners ;  but  Kilpatrick  rallied 
his  men,  repulsed  the  enemy,  recaptured  his  men  and 
guns,  and  drove  Hampton  off  with  severe  loss.  Sher- 
man here  communicated  with  Schofield  at  Wilmington, 


154.  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

and  reported  his  army  in  fine  condition,  and  his  move- 
ment  thus  far  without  serious  loss.  Indeed  his  losses  up 
to  this  time  had  been  mostly  in  foragers,  who  had  been 
pounced  upon  by  Wade  Hampton's  cavalry,  and  mur- 
dered and  mutilated  in  cold  blood,  after  surrendering. 
Of  these  victims  to  brutality,  there  were  nearly  one  hun- 
dred. General  Sherman  had  some  sharp  correspondence 
with  the  rebel  general  on  the  subject,  and  declared  his 
determination  to  retaliate  unless  these  cowardly  murders 
were  stopped ;  and  Hampton,  though  making  a  bluster- 
ing reply,  killed  no  more.  Up  to  the  date  of  his  arrival 
at  Fayetteville,  the  results  of  this  campaign  of  Sherman 
had  been :  fourteen  cities  captured,  hundreds  of  miles  of 
railroads  and  several  thousands  of  bales  of  cotton  de- 
stroyed ;  eighty-five  cannon,  four  thousand  prisoners, 
and  twenty-five  thousand  horses,  mules,  and  cattle  taken, 
and  fifteen  thousand  refugees,  black  and  white,  set  free. 
After  a  delay  of  two  days  at  Fayetteville,  General  Sher- 
man again  moved  forward,  the  rebel  General  Bragg 
having  meantime  attacked  Schofield  at  Kingston,  and 
been  defeated  with  heavy  loss.  General  Sherman  had 
fixed  upon  the  vicinity  of  Goldsboro,  as  the  place 
where  he  would  form  a  junction  with  Schofield,  and  the 
22d  of  March  as  the  time — before  leaving  Savannah — 
and  having  brought  his  army  thus  far  in  time,  he  was 
disposed  to  move  with  moderation,  to  allow  Schofield 
time  to  reach  the  rendezvous.  On  the  15th  of  March 
Johnston  attacked  Kilpatrick's  cavalry  at  Moore's  cross- 
roads, about  four  miles  from,  Averysboro,  and  at  first 
pushed  it  back,  with  some  loss ;  but  a  division  of  the 
Fourteenth  corps  coming  up,  the  Union  troops  held  their 
position.  The  next  day,  March  16th,  the  Twentieth  and 
Fourteenth  corps  attacked  the  rebels,  who  were  in  large 
force,  near  Averysboro,  and  after  a  sharp  battle  drove 


GENERAL   SHEKMAN.  155 

them  from  the  field,  with  the  loss  of  their  guns,  and 
leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  on  the  field. 

Sherman,  who  had  met  with  but  small  loss,  now  moved 
forward  towards  Goldsboro;  but  it  was  a  necessity  of 
Johnston's  position  that  he  must,  if  possible,  defeat  and 
cripple  his  great  antagonist  before  he  could  form  a  junc- 
tion with  Schofield,  as  that  once  effected,  his  own  force 
would  be  so  greatly  inferior,  that  there  could  be  no  hope 
of  success  for  him.  Accordingly,  bringing  his  entire 
force  (he  had  about  forty  thousand  effective  men),  by  a 
forced  march,  into  position  at  Bentonville,  on  the  19th  of 
March,  he  massed  them,  and  flung  them  upon  the  Union 
lines  of  Slocum's  (left)  wing  with  the  utmost  fury. 
Morgan's  division  of  the  Fourteenth  corps  was  in  ad- 
vance of  the  line  of  Union  defences,  and  this  was  driven 
back  and  doubled  upon  itself  by  the  sudden  attack, 
with  the  loss  of  three  guns.  General  Slocuni  promptly 
brought  up  the  remainder  of  the  Fourteenth  corps  and 
the  Twentieth  to  the  support  of  his  lines,  and  sent  to 
General  Sherman  for  the  co-operation  of  the  right  wing. 
Meanwhile  the  rebels  charged  fiercely  again  and  again 
upon  the  Union  troops,  making  at  one  time  three  charges 
in  thirty-five  minutes,  and  with  such  desperation,  that 
the  whole  ground  in  front  of  the  Union  lines  was  strewn 
with  their  dead  and  wounded,  and  many  of  them  had 
fallen  within  the  breastworks  over  which  they  had 
thrown  themselves  in  their  fury.  But  the  veterans  of  the 
Fourteenth  and  Twentieth  corps  had  withstood  too  many 
headlong  charges  from  the  rebels  to  give  way;  they 
stood  firm  as  a  rock,  and  repelled  every  charge  with 
grape  and  canister,  and  a  most  deadly  musketry-fire, 
till  at  length,  exhausted  with  their  efforts,  and  finding 
that  they  could  not  make  any  impression  on  Sherman's 
troops,  they  withdrew  sullenly  to  their  lines.  The  next 


156  <">UR   GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

day,  March  -20th,  was  spent  in  intrenching  and  strength- 
ening the  position  the  Union  troops  had  taken ;  and  the 
rio-ht  wino-  having  come  up,  moved  forward,  and  flanked 

^  -» 

the  enemy's  position,  keeping  up  a  brisk  artillery  hre 
upon  them  meanwhile.  Finding  that  their  communica- 
tions with  Raleigh  were  threatened,  the  rebels  attempted 
to  fall  back  on  Smithfield,  but  were  pressed  so  closely  by 
the  Union  forces,  that  they  lost  seven  guns,  and  more 
than  two  thousand  prisoners  were  captured  from  their 
army,  while  the  deserters  came  in  by  hundreds. 

General  Sherman,  who  had  sent  some  of  his  staff  to 
Goldsboro  on  the  22d,  came  in  himself  with  his  army  on 
the  23d,  having  previously  issued  the  following  order. 

"  HEADQUARTERS,  MILITARY  DIVISION  OP  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  } 
IN  THE  FIELD,  NEAR  BENTONVILLE,  N.  C., 

Marcli  22,  1865.      ) 
"Special  Field  Orders,  No.  35. 

"The general  commanding  announces  to  the  army,  that 
yesterday  it  beat,  on  its  chosen  ground,  the  concentrated 
armies  of  our  enemy,  who  has  fled  in  disordei*,  leaving 
his  dead,  wounded,  and  prisoners  in  our  hands,  and  burn- 
ing his  bridges  on  his  retreat. 

"  On  the  same  day  Major-General  Schofield,  from  New- 
bern,  entered  and  occupied  Goldsboro,  and  Major-General 
Terry,  from  Wilmington,  secured  Cox's  bridge  crossing 
and  laid  a  pontoon  bridge  across  Neuse  river,  so  that  our 
campaign  has  resulted  in  a  glorious  success.  After  a 
march  of  the  most  extraordinary  character,  nearly  five  hun- 
dred miles,  over  swamps  and  rivers  deemed  impassable  to 
others,  at  the  most  inclement  season  of  the  year,  and  draw- 
ing our  chief  supplies  from  a  poor  and  wasted  country, 
we  reach  our  destination  in  good  health  and  condition. 

"  I  thank  the  army,  and  assure  it  that  our  Govern- 
ment and  people  honor  them  for  this  new  display  of  the 


GENERAL   SHERMAN.  157 

physical  and  moral  qualities  which  reflect  honor  upon  the 
whole  nation. 

"  You  shall  now  have  rest,  and  all  the  supplies  that  can 
be  brought  from  the  rich  granaries  and  storehouses  of 
our  magnificent  country,  before  again  embarking  on  new 

and  untried  dangers. 

"W.  T.  SHERMAN, 
"  Major-General  Commanding." 

General  Sherman  reported  to  General  Grant  that  his 
entire  losses  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  from 
the  time  of  leaving  Savannah  till  he  encamped  with  his 
army  around  Goldsboro,  were  less  than  twenty-five 
hundred  men. 

After  disposing  his  army  in  camp  at  Goldsboro, 
and  giving  orders  for  their  immediate  supply  with  shoes 
and  clothing,  General  Sherman  hastened  to  City  Point, 
for  an  interview  with  General  Grant  and  the  President. 
He  arrived  on  Monday  evening,  March  27th,  and  re- 
turned the  next  day.  The  campaign  was  ended,  and 
though  a  new  one  might  commence  within  a  week,  Gen- 
eral Sherman  was  disposed  to  allow  his  soldiers  all  the 
time  for  rest  and  recovery  from  fatigue  possible,  before 
entering  upon  it.  Between  his  army,  augmented  by  the 
corps  of  Schofield  and  Terry,  and  the  fine  army  of  Grant, 
the  rebellion  was  evidently  destined  to  be  crushed  as  be- 
tween the  upper  and  nether  millstone.  The  two  armies 
were  separated  by  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and 
a  railroad,  which  could  be  rapidly  put  in  ordei-,  connected 
them.  Other  forces  were  pressing  upon  the  rebel  com- 
munications from  the  west,  and  within  a  few  weeks,  at 
furthest,  the  toils  would  be  woven  so  thickly  about  the 
army  and  the  leaders  of  the  rebellion,  that  escape  would 
be  impossible.  It  was  a  time  Avhen  waiting  with  up- 
lifted arm  ready  to  strike,  was  better,  perhaps,  than 

14 


158  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

fighting,  and  the  two  great  captains  could  wait  as  well  as 
fight.  Here,  then,  for  the  present,  we  leave  General 
Sherman,  content  to  know  that  his  movements  in  the 
future,  as  in  the  past,  will  display  his  rare  and  consum- 
mate military  ability. 

In  person,  General  Sherman  is  tall,  slender,  but  vigor- 
ous, and  capable  of  extraordinary  endurance  of  fatigue. 
His  eyes  are  gray,  his  hair  and  whiskers  sandy,  with  a 
reddish  tinge.  His  temperament  is  highly  nervous,  and 
he  is  one  of  the  most  restless  of  men,  constantly  in  mo- 
tion, and  as  constantly  smoking;  he  requires  but  little 
sleep,  and  is  a  close  and  somewhat  abstracted  thinker. 
His  manners  are  usually  somewhat  stern,  or  as  a  New 
Englander  would  say,  gruff,  partly  perhaps  from  his 
quick  nervous  way  of  speaking,  and  partly  from  the  im- 
periousness  of  his  will,  which  brooks  no  opposition,  and 
a  naturally  harsh  temper,  a  fault  which  he  freely  admits 
though  he  seldom  controls  it.  He  is  careless  in  his 
dress,  and  has  no  aspirations  to  be  a  military  dandy. 
He  has  a  mind  well  cultivated  by  reading  and  study, 
and  is  especially  familiar  with  ancient  and  modern  his- 
tory. He  possesses  decided  ability  as  a  writer,  express- 
ing himself  with  great  terseness  and  force,  and  often 
condensing  a  whole  volume  of  military  law  in  a  single 
sentence.  His  style  is,  however,  somewhat  marred  by 
his  habit  of  using  short,  jerky,  sentences.  In  conversa- 
tion he  is  very  rapid  and  vehement,  his  sentences  short, 
and  uttered  in  an  imperious  way.  He  never  suffers  any 
one  to  complete  a  sentence  in  conversing  with  him,  an- 
swering before  they  have  finished,  but  suffers  no  one  to 
interrupt  him ;  and  while  talking  eagerly  he  has  a  habit 
of  pushing  his  interlocutor  away.  His  decisions  are  so 
quick  as  to  seem  to  be  intuitions,  but  are  very  rarely 
wrong. 


GENERAL   SHEKMAN.  159 

Innumerable  anecdotes  are  told  of  him  which  illustrate 
these  traits  of  his  character.  Just  at  the  commencement 
of  his  Atlanta  campaign,  while  he  was  straining  every 
nerve  to  push  forward  supplies  for  his  army,  the  Chris- 
tian Commission  telegraphed  him,  asking  for  transporta- 
tion for  two  of  their  delegates,  eminent  clergymen  of 
New  York,  to  visit  his  army  with  stores,  tracts,  &c. 
"  Certainly  not,"  was  the  prompt  reply,  "  crackers  and 
oats  are  more  necessary  for  my  men  than  ministers  and 
tracts."  Though  in  general  entertaining  a  dislike  for 
much  of  the  female  nursing  in  the  camps  and  hospitals, 
lie  had  taken  a  fancy  to  a  Mrs.  Bickerdyke,  a  resolute, 
daring,  strong-limbed,  and  strong-lunged  woman,  who 
had  really  accomplished  a  vast  amount  of  good  by  her 
care  for  the  interests  of  the  private  soldiers,  especially 
those  who  were  sick  or  wounded,  and  would  grant  her 
requests  almost  uniformly,  even  when  he  denied  others 
the  same  favors.  Mrs.  Bickerdyke  was  a  sworn  enemy 
to  indolent  and  unfaithful  army  surgeons,  and  often  pro- 
cured their  dishonorable  discharge  when  they  were  in- 
competent or  neglectful  of  their  duties.  One  of  these 
surgeons  who  found  himself  summarily  discharged  from 
the  service  through  her  influence,  went  to  General 
Sherman  and  asked  to  be  reinstated,  alleging  that  his 
character  had  been  misrepresented.  "Who  got  you 
discharged?"  asked  the  general.  "I  was  unjustly  dis- 
charged," said  the  surgeon,  evasively.  "  But  who  got 
you  discharged  ?"  persisted  the  general.  "  Why,  I  sup- 
pose it  was  that  woman,  that  Mrs.  Bickerdyke." 
"Ah!"  said  Sherman,  puffing  at  his  cigar,  violently; 
"  well,  if  it  was  Bickerdyke,  I  can't  do  any  thing  for  you. 
She  ranks  me." 

To  him,  there  are  no  such  things  as  impossibilities. 
In  March,  1864,  finding  that  only  ninety  car-loads  of 


160  OUK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

rations  daily  were  forwarded  from  Nashville  to  Chatta- 
nooga, he  insisted  that  the  number  must  be  quadrupled, 
and  going  to  Louisville,  he  extended  the  Louisville  and 
Nashville  railroad  three  miles  to  the  Ohio  river  within 
two  days,  brought  the  Jeffersonville  railroad  to  the 
north  bank  of  the  river,  seized  a  ferry-boat,  and  had  it 
fitt'ed  up  for  transporting  locomotives  and  cars,  had  in- 
clined planes  erected,  impressed  as  many  locomotives  and 
cars  as  he  wanted  from  the  Illinois,  Indiana,  and  Ohio 
railroads,  and  rushed  them  through  to  Nashville.  In 
less  than  a  month  the  railroad  agents  were  running  two 
hundred  and  seventy  cars  per  day  through  to  Chatta- 
nooga, but,  not  satisfied  with  this,  he  required  a  report 
daily  of  the  additions  made  to  the  rolling-stock,  and  on 
the  28th  of  April  had  his  three  hundred  and  sixty  cars 
daily  running  to  Chattanooga.  On  his  march  from  Sa- 
vannah to  Goldsboro,  a  distance  of  five  hundred  miles, 
the  roads  for  great  portions  of  the  distance  had  to  be 
corduroyed,  and  bridges  built  over  many  of  the  streams, 
yet  he  required  and  secured  a  march  of  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  miles  a  day  with  his  immense  army,  a  greater 
rapidity  of  movement  for  a  large  infantry  force,  in  so 
long  a  march,  than  was  ever  recorded  in  history.  No 
wonder  that  when  he  reached  Goldsboro  twenty  thou- 
sand of  his  men  were  without  shoes. 

General  Sherman  is  idolized  by  his  men.  They  know 
that  he  cares  for  them,  and  harsh  and  stern  as  he  may 
be  to  speculators,  cotton-buyers,  or  even  civilians  or  offi- 
cers who  come  to  his  headquarters  when  he  is  out  of 
humor,  no  private  soldier  ever  comes  to  him  to  have  a 
wrong  redressed  who  does  not  have  a  patient  hearing 
and  a  just  decision.  His  foresight  and  comprehension 
of  all  the  possible  moves  of  the  enemy,  and  his  skill  in 
providing  for  them,  are  remarkable,  and  exhibit  in  the 


GENERAL    SHERMAN.  161 

strongest  light  his  military  genius.  His  patriotism  is 
undoubted  and  fervent.  Knowing  what  the  Southern 
people  are,  and  what  they  have  done,  he  expostulates 
with  them  in  strong  terms,  but  never  attempts  to  pal- 
liate their  conduct,  or  to  intimate  that  any  thing  short  of 
submission  will  secure  to  them  the  restoration  of  their 
former  privileges. 

A  letter  of  his,  written  in  the  summer  of  1864  to  a 
lady  in  Baltimore,  whom  he  had  known  years  ago 
"playing  as  a  school-girl  on  Sullivan's  Island  beach," 
expresses  his  sentiments  on  this  subject  so  eloquently, 
that  we  cannot  refrain  from  quoting  it.  In  justifica- 
tion of  the  war,  he  says : 

"  All  I  pretend  to  say  is,  on  earth  as  in  heaven,  man 
must  submit  to  some  arbiter.  He  must  not  throw  off 
his  allegiance  to  his  Government  or  his  God  without  just 
reason  and  cause.  The  South  had  no  cause — not  even 
a  pretext.  Indeed,  by  her  unjustifiable  course,  she  has 
thrown  away  the  proud  history  of  the  past,  and  laid  open 
her  fair  country  to  the  tread  of  devastating  war.  She 
bantered  and  bullied  us  to  the  conflict.  Had  we  declined 
battle,  America  would  have  sunk  back,  coward  and 
craven,  meriting  the  contempt  of  all  mankind.  As  a 
nation,  we  were  forced  to  accept  battle,  and  that,  once 
begun,  it  has  gone  on  till  the  war  has  assumed  propor- 
tions at  which  even  we,  in  the  hurly-burly,  sometimes 
stand  aghast.  I  would  not  subjugate  the  South  in  the 
sense  so  offensively  assumed,  but  I  would  make  every 
citizen  of  the  land  obey  the  common  law,  submit  to  the 
same  we  do — no  worse,  no  better — our  equals,  and  not 
our  superiors." 

He  adds :  "  God'  knows  how  reluctantly  we  accepted 
the  issue ;  but  once  the  issue  joined,  like,  in  other  ages, 
the  Northern  race,  though  slow  to  anger,  once  aroused^ 
14* 


162  ODE   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

are  more  terrible  than  the  more  inflammable  of  the 
South.  Even  yet  my  heart  bleeds  when  I  see  the 
carnage  of  battle,  the  desolation  of  homes,  the  bitter 
anguish  of  families ;  but  the  very  moment  the  men  of 
the  South  say,  that  instead  of  appealing  to  war  they 
should  have  appealed  to  reason,  to  our  Congress,  to 
our  Courts,  to  religion,  and  to  the  experience  of  his- 
tory, then  will  I  say,  Peace  !  Peace  !  Go  back  to  your 
point  of  error,  and  resume  your  place  as  American  citi- 
zens, with  all  their  proud  heritages." 

With  all  his  impatience  of  restraint,  General  Sherman 
has  always  manifested  his  recognition  of  the  maxim,  that 
"  unhesitating  obedience  is  the  first  duty  of  the  soldier." 
Though  often  tried  sorely  in  this  regard,  he  has  never 
failed  to  obey  any  order  from  his  superiors  in  command, 
however  distasteful,  with  the  utmost  promptness.  His 
fealty  to  Lieutenant-General  Grant  is  honorable  to  both. 
It  is  related  that  a  distinguished  civilian,  who  visited  him 
at  Savannah,  desirous  of  ascertaining  his  real  opinion  of 
General  Grant,  began  to  speak  of  him  in  terms  of  depre- 
ciation. "It  won't  do;  it  won't  do,  Mr. ,"  said 

Sherman,  in  his  quick,  nervous  way;  "General  Grant 
is  a  great  general.  I  know  him  well.  He  stood  by 
me  when  I  was  crazy,  and  I  stood  by  him  when  he 
was  drunk  ;*  and  now,  sir,  we  stand  by  each  other 
always." 

In  short,  while  we  acknowledge,  as  he  does  also,  most 
frankly,  that  General  Sherman  is  not  wholly  free  from 
faults,  we  think  he  has  fairly  won  the  right  of  being 
reckoned  as  one  of  the  half-dozen  great  captains  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  and  that  none  of  his  compeers 
have  cause  to  feel  ashamed  of  his  company. 

*  Alluding  to  the  reports  so  maliciously  circulated  of  Sherman's  in- 
sanity and  Grant's  intemperance. 


III. 

Major-General  George  H,  Thomas, 

AMONG  the  few  men  of  Southern  birth  and  education, 
who,  at  a  period  of  wide-spread  delusion  and  infatuation, 
were  not  beguiled  into  following  the  ignis-fatuus  of 
the  State  Rights  heresy,  men  who,  like  Milton's  Abdiel, 
in  the  midst  of  the  rebellious  host  of  fallen  angels,  were 

"  Faithful  among  the  faithless  found," 

Major-General  Thomas  stands  conspicuous  alike  in  the 
purity  of  his  character,  the  intensity  of  his  devotion  to 
the  national  cause,  his  undaunted  bravery,  and  successful 
generalship. 

Born  in  Southampton  county,  Va.,  in  the  very  heart 
of  the  Old  Dominion,  and  of  a  family  possessing  far  more 
than  ordinary  claims,  both  in  wealth  and  social  position, 
to  rank  among  the  F.  F.  V.'s,  he  was  never,  for  a  mo- 
ment, influenced  by  the  twaddle  which  men  in  high  posi- 
tion were  not  ashamed  to  utter,  of  the  necessity  of  "going 
with  their  State,"  but  promptly  acknowledged,  and 
firmly  held  to  his  allegiance  to  the  national  flag  and  the 
national  cause,  as  paramount  to  all  State  ties,  and,  from 
the  first  dawn  of  the  rebellion,  threw  all  the  energies  of 
his  great  soul  into  the  work  of  suppressing  it. 

He  was  born,  as  we  have  said,  in  Southampton  county, 
Va.,  July  31,  1816.  His  father,  John  Thomas,  was  of 
English,  or  more  probably,  remotely  of  Welsh  descent ; 
his  mother,  Elizabeth  Rochelle,  of  an  old  Huguenot  family, 
and  both  wealthy,  respectable,  and  highly  connected. 


164:  OUR    GKEAT    CAPTAINS. 

His  early  education  was  obtained  at  the  best  schools  of 
that  portion  of  Virginia,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years  he  accepted  the  position  of  deputy  clerk  of  the 
county,  under  his  uncle,  James  Rochelle,  then  county 
clerk,  and  commenced  the  study  of  the  law.  In  the 
spring  of  1836,  through  the  influence  of  family  friends, 
he  received  an  appointment  as  cadet,  and  entered  the 
Military  Academy  at  West  Point  the  following  June.  In 
June,  1840,  he  graduated  twelfth  in  a  class  of  forty-five, 
and  was  appointed  second  lieutenant  in  the  3d  Artillery 
on  the  1st  of  July.  In  November  of  the  same  year  he 
joined  his  regiment  in  Florida,  eighteen  months  before 
the  termination  of  the  first  Florida  war.  A  year  later 
(November  6, 1841)  he  was  brevetted  first  lieutenant  "for 
gallant  conduct  in  the  war  against  the  Florida  Indians." 
In  January,  1842,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  the  New 
Orleans  barracks,  and  in  June  of  the  same  year  to  Fort 
Moultrie,  Charleston  harbor.  In  both  these  migrations, 
Lieutenant  Thomas  accompanied  them.  In  December, 
1843,  he  was  ordered  to  duty,  with  company  C  of  his 
regiment,  at  Fort  McHenry,  Md.  On  the  17th  of  May, 
1843,  he  was  promoted  to  a  first-lieutenancy,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1844,  joined  company  E  at  Fort  Moultrie. 

As  there  were  indications  of  approaching  war  with 
Mexico,  Lieutenant  Thomas  was  sent  with  his  company 
to  Texas  in  July,  1845,  with  orders  to  report  to  General 
Zachary  Taylor.  They  arrived  at  Corpus  Christi  the 
same  month,  in  company  with  the  Third  and  Fourth  regi- 
ments of  infantry,  being  the  first  United  States  troops  that 
occupied  the  soil  of  Texas.  Company  E  and  its  lieutenant 
marched  with  the  army  of  occupation  from  Corpus 
Christi  to  the  Rio  Grande,  and  with,  one  company 'of 
the  First  Artillery  and  six  of  the  Seventh  U.  S.  in- 
fantry, was  left  to  garrison  Fort  Brown,  opposite  Ma- 


GENERAL   THOMAS.  165 

tainoras;  while  General  Taylor,  with  the  main  body 
of  his  army,  fell  back  to  Point  Isabel,  to  establish  a 
depot  of  supplies  there. 

On  the  2d  of  May  the  Mexicans  invested  Fort  Brown, 
and  the  garrison  sustained  a  bombardment  until  the  af- 
ternoon of  the  8th,  when  the  Mexican  troops  abandoned 
the  siege,  and  went  to  reinforce  General  Ampudia  at  Re- 
saca  de  la  Palma,  that  general  having  been  on  that  day 
driven  from  Palo  Alto  by  General  Taylor,  while  march- 
ing to  the  relief  of  Fort  Brown.  On  the  9th,  General 
Taylor  defeated  the  Mexicans  at  Resaca  de  la  Palma, 
and  drove  them  across  the  Rio  Grande,  near  the  fort,  the 
garrison  contributing  to  this  decisive  victory  by  pouring 
an  unintermitting  fire  of  shot  and  shell  into  the  disordered 
masses  of  the  retreating  enemy,  as  they  rushed  in  confu- 
sion to  the  river  to  escape  the  advancing  columns  of 
General  Taylor.  After  the  evacuation  of  Matamoras, 
Lieutenant  Thomas  was  detached  from  his  company 
with  a  section  of  his  battery,  and  for  nearly  four  months 
assigned  to  duty  with  the  advance  guard,  first  at  Rey- 
nosa,  and  afterwards  at  Camargo.  In  September  he  re- 
joined his  command,  and  marched  to  Monterey,  and  for 
his  gallant  conduct  at  the  battle  of  Monterey,  Sept.  23d, 
1846,  was  brevetted  captain.  About  the  1st  of  No- 
vember he  took  command  of  Company  E  as  senior  lieu- 
tenant, retaining  it  till  February  14,  1847.  In  December, 
1846,  he  was  again  placed  in  the  advance  with  Quitman's 
brigade,  and  entered  Victoria  about  January  1,  1847. 
During  this  month  General  Scott,  having  assumed  com- 
mand of  the  army  in  the  field,  ordered  General  Taylor 
to  select  a  division,  and  with  it  occupy  the  country  he 
had  conquered.  General  Taylor  selected,  among  other 
troops,  companies,  C  and  E  of  the  Third  Artillery,  and 
returned  to  Monterey  about  the  last  of  January.  Soon 


166  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

after,  Santa  Anna  advanced  upon  him  with  a  force  qua- 
druple that  of  Taylor,  and  on  the  21st  of  February  the 
bloody  but  decisive  battle  of  Buena  Vista  was  fought, 
and  resulted  in  the  complete  defeat  of  Santa  Anna,  and 
the  dispersion  of  his  army.  In  this  battle  Lieutenant 
Thomas  greatly  distinguished  himself,  receiving  the 
highest  encomiums  of  his  commander,  and  on  the  23d 

S 

of  February  he  was  bre vetted  major  for  his  gallant  and 
meritorious  conduct. 

In  August,  1848,  he  recrossed  the  Rio  Grande  into 
Texas,  having  been  among  the  first  to  enter  and  among 
the  last  to  leave  the  Mexican  territory.  In  September, 
1848,  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  commissary  depot  at 
Brazos  Santiago,  and  in  December  was  granted  a  six 
months'  leave  of  absence,  the  first  he  had  had  since  enter- 
ing the  service.  In  June,  1849,  he  rejoined  his  company 
at  Fort  Adams,  Newport,  R.  L,  and  on  the  31st  of  July 
was  placed  in  command  of  company  B  of  the  Third  Ar- 
tillery, with  which  he  was  ordered  in  September  to  pro- 
ceed to  Florida,  to  put  down  an  Indian  outbreak  there. 
He  remained  on  duty  in  Florida  till  December,  1850, 
when  he  received  orders  to  go  to  Texas,  but  on  reaching 
New  Orleans  found  later  orders  directing  him  to  report 
for  duty  at  Fort  Independence,  Boston  harbor.  He  re- 
mained at  Fort  Independence  till  March  28th,  1851, 
when  he  was  relieved  by  Captain  Ord,  and  assigned  to 
duty  at  West  Point  as  Instructor  of  Artillery  and  Cav- 
alry. He  remained  at  West  Point  about  three  years, 
having  in  December,  1853,  been  promoted  to  a  full 
captaincy. 

On  leaving  West  Point,  Captain  Thomas  took  com- 
mand of  a  battalion  of  artillery,  and  sailed  for  California, 
via  Panama.  On  his  arrival  at  Benicia  barracks  he  was 
assigned  to  Fort  Yuma,  Lower  California,  and  reaching 


GENERAL   THOMAS.  167 

that  place  July  15th,  with  two  companies  of  artillery,  he 
relieved  Major  Heintzelman.  The  next  year  Congress 
authorized  an  increase  of  four  regiments  in  the  army, 
two  of  infantry,  and  two  of  cavalry,  and  Captain  Thomas 
received  the  appointment  of  junior  major  in  the  Second 
Cavalry,  and,  on  the  18th  of  July,  1855,  left  Fort 
Yuma  to  join  his  regiment  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mis- 
souri. In  the  following  spring  the  regiment  was  ordered 
to  Texas,  where  he  was  on  duty  from  May  1st,  1856,  to 
November  1st,  1860.  During  this  time  he  was  for  three 
years  in  command  of  the  regiment,  and  in  August,  1859, 
headed  the  escort  which  accompanied  the  Texas  Reserve 
Indians  to  their  new  home  in  the  Indian  Territory.  In 
the  autumn  of  1859,  and  the  winter,  spring,  and  summer 
of  1860,  he  was  engaged  in  an  examination  of  the  coun- 
try on  the  headwaters  of  the  Canadian  and  Red  rivers, 
and  the  Conchas,  and  collected  much  valuable  geograph- 
ical information  concerning  those  regions  which  had 
previously  been  entirely  unexplored.  He  had,  during 
his  last  expedition,  a  rencounter  with  a  party  of  preda- 
tory Indians,  whom  he  defeated,  and  recaptured  from 
them  all  the  animals  they  had  stolen  from  the  settle- 
ments. In  this  skirmish  he  was  slightly  wounded  in  the 
face.  In  November,  1860,  he  obtained  a  short  leave  of 
absence,  the  second  in  more  than  twenty  years.  In 
April,  1861,  he  was  ordered  to  Carlisle  Barracks,  Penn- 
sylvania, to  remount  the  Second  Cavalry,  which  had 
been  dismounted  and  ordered  out  of  Texas,  by  the  traitor 
Twiggs.  When  he  arrived,  two  companies  had  already 
been  mounted,  and  sent  to  Washington ;  four  more 
were  sent  forward  at  once,  and  the  remaining  four  were 
assigned  to  duty  under  his  command,  in  the  department 
of  Pennsylvania.  On  the  25th  of  April,  Major  Thomas 
was  promoted  to  a  lieutenant-colonelcy,  and  on  the  5th 


168  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

of  May  appointed  colonel  of  the  Fifth  TJ.  S.  Cavalry. 
In  the  same  month  he  was  assigned  to  the  command  of 
a  brigade  in  General  Patterson's  army,  in  Northern  Vir- 
ginia, and  afterwards  held  the  same  position  under  Gen- 
eral Banks. 

On  the  iTth  of  August  he  was  appointed  a  brigadier- 
general  of  Volunteers,  and  on  the  26th  was  relieved 
from  duty  with  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  or- 
dered to  report  to  Brigadier-General  Robert  Anderson, 
commanding  the  Department  of  the  Cumberland.  On  his 
arrival  at  Louisville,  September  6th,  he  was  at  once  as- 
signed to  the  command  of  Camp  Dick  Robinson,  fifteen 
miles  southeast  of  Nicholasville,  Kentucky,  which  he 
reached  September  15th,  and  relieved  Lieutenant  Nel- 
son, U.  S.  N.  (afterwards  Major-General  Nelson,  U.  S.  V.). 
Here  were  about  six  thousand  troops  collected  by  Nel- 
son, and  Thomas  soon  greatly  increased  the  number, 
and  having  organized  them,  sent  four  regiments  of  in- 
fantry, a  battalion  of  artillery,  and  Woolford's  cavalry, 
under  command  of  Brigadier-General  Schoepf,  to  Rock- 
castle  hills,  thirty  miles  southeast,  to  establish  Camp 
Wildcat,  and  resist  the  advance  of  the  rebels,  who,  un- 
der General  Zollicoffer,  had  entered  Kentucky  through 
Cumberland  Gap.  On  the  26th  of  October  the  battle 
of  Wildcat  was  fought,  and  Zollicoffer  defeated,  and 
driven  back  to  Cumberland  Gap  by  the  Union  troops, 
under  the  personal  command  of  General  Schoepf.  Im- 
mediately after  this  battle,  General  Thomas  moved  his 
headquarters  to  Crab  Orchard,  and  began  preparations 
for  an  advance  into  East  Tennessee ;  but  General  Buell, 
who  commanded  the  department,  being  desirous  of  driv- 
ing the  rebel  General  A.  S.  Johnston  from  Bowling 
Green,  where  he  had  concentrated  a  large  force,  ordered 
General  Thomas  to  move,  with  all  his  force,  except  three 


GENERAL   THOMAS.  169 

regiments,  to  Lebanon,  Kentucky,  and  put  himself  in  a 
state  of  readiness  for  an  active  campaign.  General 
Thomas  obeyed  promptly,  and  at  Lebanon  organized 
the  First  division  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  His 
troops  had,  however,  but  just  arrived  there,  when  intel- 
ligence came  that  Zollicoffer  had  advanced  to  Monticello, 
and  was  threatening  Somerset.  He  immediately  sent 
General  Schoepf  a  battery  of  artillery  and  two  regiments 
of  infantry,  to  prevent  him  from  crossing  the  Cumber- 
land river,  and  two  days  afterwards  ordered  two  more 
regiments  and  another  battery  to  reinforce  him;  but 
Zollicoffer  had  meanwhile  succeeded  in  crossing  the 
river,  and  established  himself  on  the  north  side,  opposite 
Mill  Spring.  On  the  31st  of  December  he  took  the  field 
in  person,  with  six  regiments  of  infantry,  one  of  cavalry, 
a  battery  of  artillery,  and  four  companies  of  engineers,  to 
march  against  Zollicoffer,  and  dislodge  him  from  his  po- 
sition, if  he  did  not  come  out  to  meet  the  Union  forces. 

The  march  was  a  most  laborious  one,  occupying  nine- 
teen days,  the  roads  being  almost  impassable,  but  General 
Thomas  at  last  succeeded  in  reaching  Logan's  cross-roads, 
about  ten  miles  north  of  Mill  Spring,  though  two  of  the 
regiments  of  infantry  had  fallen  behind.  He  halted  at 
this  point  for  these  to  come  up,  on  the  18th  of  January," 
and  at  the  same  time  made  arrangements  to  communicate 
with  General  Schoepf,  at  Somerset,  and  undertake  a  com- 
bined movement  upon  the  enemy's  intrenchments.  This 
movement  was  to  be  made  on  the  26th.  The  rebel  com- 
mander meantime  having  been  informed  that  only  two 
resriments  had  reached  Logan's  cross-roads  with  General 

O  CJ 

Thomas,  resolved  to  surprise  and  overwhelm  him  before 
the  others  could  come  up.  He  accordingly  moved  on 
the  evening  of  the  18th,  reaching  Thomas's  camp  about 
daylight,  and  driving  in  the  pickets  in  some  confusion. 

15 


170  OUK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

General  Thomas  was  not  long  in  forming  his  troops  and 
advancing  upon  the  enemy.  The  rebels  assaulted  with 
great  desperation,  but  without  effect ;  and  the  two  regi- 
ments which  were  behind  having  come  up,  a  simulta- 
neous assault  was  made  upon  the  rebel  front,  right,  and 
rear,  and,  after  a  sharp  struggle,  they  broke  and  fled, 
retreating  in  great  disorder  towards  their  intrenchments. 
They  were  pursued  promptly  to  the  river,  and  General 
Thomas  gave  orders  to  storm  their  intrenchments  early 
the  next  morning  ;  but  during  the  night  they  fled,  aban- 
doning their  fortifications,  artillery,  ammunition  wagons, 
cavalry,  horse,  and  camp  equipage,  provisions,  and  small- 
arms.  General  Zollicofler  was  killed  in  the  battle. 
Many  of  the  wealthy  rebels  in  Middle  Tennessee  were  so 
terrified  by  this  defeat  that  they  removed,  with  their 
slaves  and  property,  to  Alabama  and  Mississippi,  regard- 
ing Tennessee  as  unsafe.  General  Thomas  now  concen- 
trated his  force  at  Somerset,  and  prepared  for  an  expedi- 
tion into  East  Tennessee,  the  possession  of  which  he  re- 
garded as  of  the  first  importance.  He  had  nearly  accu- 
mulated the  necessary  supplies  and  subsistence  for  the 
expedition,  when  General  Buell  again  recalled  him, 
ordering  him  to  move  with  all  dispatch  to  Lebanon,  and 
thence  to  Mnnfordsville,  where  he  was  then  concentrating 
his  forces  for  an  attack  on  Bowling  Green.  Before  the 
troops  could  be  assembled  there,  however,  the  rebels  had 
lost  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  and  had  abandoned 
Columbus,  Bowling  Green,  and  Nashville,  and  retreated 
further  south.  General  Thomas  was  met  on  his  way  to 
Mnnfordsville  by  orders  to  go  on  with  his  division  to 
Louisville,  and  there  take  steamers  for  Nashville.  He 
arrived  at  Nashville  on  the  2d  of  March  with  his  division, 
in  readiness  to  take  the  field.  General  Buell  constituted 
that  division  the  reserve  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland, 


GENERAL   THOMAS.  171 

and  it  did  not  reach  Pittsburg  Landing  till  after  the  rebels 
had  retreated  to  Corinth.  On  the  25th  of  April,  1862, 
Brigadier-General  Thomas  was  appointed  and  confirmed 
Major-General  of  Volunteers,  and  on  the  1st  .of  May  his 
division  was  transferred,  by  General  Halleck,  to  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  he  was  assigned  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  right  wing  of  that  army,  consisting  of  five 
divisions — viz.,  Brigadier-General  T.W.  Sherman's,  Briga- 
dier-General W.  T.  Sherman's  (subsequently  commander 
of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  and  of  the  Military  Divis- 
ion of  the  Mississippi),  Brigadier-General  S.  A.  Hurlbut's, 
Brigadier-General  T.  J.  McKean's,  and  Brigadier-General 
Thomas  A.  Davies'  divisions. 

On  the  evacuation  of  Corinth  by  the  rebels,  General 
Thomas's  command  was  stationed  along  the  Memphis 
and  Charleston  railroad  from  luka,  Mississippi,  to  Tus- 
cumbia,  Alabama,  for  its  protection.  On  the  10th  of 
June  he  was  retransferred  to  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  his 
old  associates,  and  ordered  to  concentrate  his  command 
at  Decherd,  Tennessee.  Leaving  his  command  tempo- 
rarily in  charge  of  General  Schoepf,  he  went  on  to  Mc- 
Minnville  to  take  charge  of  the  divisions  of  Generals 
Nelson  and  Hood,  then  at  that  place.  On  the  3d  of 
September,  General  Buell  sent  him  orders  to  join  him 
at  Murfreesboro.  On  arriving  there,  he  found  that 
General  Buell  had  moved  on  to  Nashville,  whither  he 
followed  promptly,  and  reached  that  city  on  the  8th 
of  September,  when  he  was  at  once  put  in  command 
of  the  post,  while  General  Buell  pushed  on  towards  Ken- 
tucky. On  the  evening  of  the  13th  General  Thomas  re- 
ceived orders  to  follow ;  and,  leaving  Negley's  and  Pal- 
mer's divisions  as  a  garrison  at  Nashville,  he  moved  on 
the  15th  and  overtook  General  Buell  on  the  19th  near 
Cave  City,  and  was  at  once  made  second  in  command  of 


172  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

the  whole  army.  In  that  rapid  race  to  Louisville'  and 
back,  which  followed,  in  which  Bragg  always  managed 
to  be  a  little  ahead,  General  Thomas  took  his  full  share  of 
the  labor  and  responsibility.  He  reached  Louisville  on 
the  26th  of  September.  On  the  29th  the  army  was  di- 
vided into  three  army  corps,  under  Generals  McCook, 
Crittenden,  and  Gilbert,  and  General  Thomas  was  still 
second  in  command  ;  and  when  on  the  1st  of  October  the 
army  moved  from  Louisville  in  pursuit  of  Bragg,  now 
retreating  with  his  ill-gotten  prey  from  Kentucky, 
General  Thomas  took  command  of  the  right  wing. 
In  the  battle  of  Perryville  the  left  wing  was  princi- 
pally engaged, — the  right  wing,  from  the  position  of 
the  two  armies,  being  unable  to  come  into  action,  ex- 
cept in  the  way  of  skirmishing  on  the  part  of  its  cav- 
alry. When  General  Rosecrans  assumed  command, 
the  name  of  the  army  was  again  changed  to  the  "  Army 
of  the  Cumberland ;"  and  on  the  5th  of  November,  Gen- 
eral Thomas  was  placed  in  command  of  the  centre,  the 
14th  army  corps,  consisting  of  five  divisions, — the  1st, 
3d,  8th,  12th,  and  13th,  under  the  command  of  Gene- 
rals Fry,  Rousseau,  Negley,  Dumont,  and  Palmer.  With 
his  corps  he  reached  Nashville  early  in  November,  and 
on  the  26th  of  December  advanced  towards  Murfrees- 
boro.  During  the  series  of  battles  and  skirmishes 
which  preceded  the  battle  of  Stone  river  he  was  cool, 
active,  and  vigilant,  cheering  on  his  men  by  his  ex- 
ample, and  sharing  their  dangers.  In  the  battle  of 
Stone  river,  on  the  first  day,  it  was  his  corps  that  ar- 
rested the  progress  of  Bragg's  legions,  flushed  with  vic- 
tory, when,  having  routed  and  trampled  down  McCook's 
corps  and  forced  back  Negley's  division  of  Thomas's, 
they  were  held  firmly  at  bay  by  Palmer's  veterans,  while 
General  Thomas  was  aiding  the  commander  in  forming 


GENERAL   THOMAS.  173 

a  new  and  impregnable  line.  Firm  as  a  rock,  they 
stemmed  the  torrent  of  advancing  rebels  at  a  time 
when  every  moment  was  of  infinite  value  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  day  and  the  retrieval  of  the  disaster.  Again 
and  again  were  Bragg's  masses  hurled  upon  them,  but, 
though  sadly  thinned,  their  lines  were  unbroken.  It  was 
a  portion  of  Thomas's  corps  that  on  the  2d  of  January 
punished  so  effectually  the  rash  attempt  of  Breckinridge 
to  advance  and  turn  the  Union  left,  and  in  forty  minutes 
strewed  the  line  of  their  advance  and  retreat  with  two 
thousand  dead  and  wounded  rebels ;  and  when  on  that 
dark  Saturday  night,  January  3d,  1863,  Bragg's  dispir- 
ited legions  fled  from  Murfreesboro,  it  was  Thomas's 
corps  which  advanced  and  drove  them  the  next  morning 
towards  Manchester.  Well  did  General  Rosecrans  speak 
of  him  in  his  report  as  "  true  and  prudent ;  distinguished 
in  counsel,  and  on  many  battle-fields  celebrated  by  his 
courage." 

The  two  armies  for  the  next  five  months  lay  twenty 
miles  apart  watching  each  other,  both  considerably  and 
about  equally  reinforced,  but  neither  strong  enough  for 
an  offensive  movement.  At  length,  late  in  June,  General 
Rosecrans  having  brought  his  cavalry  up  towards  his 
standard  of  perfection,  and  accumulated  supplies  at  his 
secondary  base,  moved  forward,  and  by  a  series  of  bril- 
liant strategic  movements,  in  which  General  Thomas  bore 
a  distinguished  and  honorable  part,  dislodged  the  rebels 
from  Shelbyville,  Manchester,  Tullahoma,  Winchester, 
and  Decherd,  and  compelled  them,  by  mountain  passes 
and  devious  routes,  to  seek  refuge  and  safety  in  Chatta- 
nooga. Then  repairing  the  railroads,  and  constructing 
bridges  to  make  the  route  safe  and  easy  for  troops  and 
supplies,  he  moved  forward  again  to  capture  Chattanooga 
by  a  flank  movement.  For  this  purpose,  General  Rose- 

15* 


174:  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

crans  marched  his  army  in  three,  or,  including  his  cav- 
alry, in  four  columns,  moving  by  different  routes ; — Mc- 
Cook  crossing  the  Tennessee  near  Stevenson,  and  passing 
down  the  west  side  of  Lookout  mountain  to  Valley  Head 
and  Alpine,  and  thence  ascending  towards  Chattanooga 
by  way  of  McLemore's  cove  ;  Thomas  crossing  at  Bridge- 
port, and  threatening  Chattanooga  along  the  railroad  ; 
while  Crittenden,  crossing  at  and  above  Bridgeport,  and 
at  the  same  time  threatening  Chattanooga  from  the  op- 
posite bank  of  the  Tennessee  by  a  detachment  of  his 
corps,  caused  Bragg  to  evacuate  it  speedily,  and  then, 
leaving  a  small  garrison  there,  passed  over  east  towards 
Ringgold,  the  cavalry  meantime  making  an  extensive 
detour  westward,  and  crossing  the  river  near  Athens, 
Tennessee.  The  object  of  these  movements  had  been 
attained  in  part,  for  Bragg  had  been  compelled  to 
abandon  Chattanooga,  or  risk  the  loss  of  his  communi- 
cations ;  but  he  was  receiving  large  reinforcements, 
which  gave  him  greatly  the  preponderance  in  num- 
bers over  the  Union  army,  and  having  retreated  but 
a  short  distance  southward,  he  now  proposed,  by  rapid 
movements,  to  attack  Rosecrans'  scattered  corps  before 
they  could  form  a  junction,  and  thus  win  back  his 
stronghold. 

Rosecrans  was  fully  aware  of  his  critical  situation,  and 
understood  that  he  must  fight  a  desperate  battle  at  heavy 
odds,  for  the  possession  of  the  prize  he  had  captured. 
By  dint  of  extraordinary  exertion,  he  succeeded  in 
bringing  up  McCook's  corps  from  the  south,  and  Crit- 
tenden's  from  the  east,  to  unite  with  Thomas,  who  was 
already  in  a  strong  position  in  McLemore's  cove ;  but 
McCook's  corps  were  sorely  jaded  by  their  long  and  dif- 
ficult march,  and  had  had  no  time  to  rest.  Meanwhile 
Bragg,  though  annoyed  at  the  failure  of  his  plan  for  de- 


GENERAL    THOMLA.S.  175 

feating  Rosecrans'  army  in  detail,  approached  it  with 
great  confidence,  having  a  force  outnumbering  his  as 
three  to  two.  On  the  first  day  of  the  battle,  victory  in- 
clined to  neither  side.  The  attack,  in  which  all  of  Bragg's 
army  did  not  participate,  was  made  upon  Thomas's 
corps,  and  though  outnumbered,  they  stood  like  a  wall ; 
and  though,  in  the  course  of  the  day,  the  other  corps 
were  brought  into  action,  yet  the  heaviest  blows  had 
been  given  and  received  by  Thomas's  veterans.  It  is 
said  that  when  Longstreet's  corps,  fresh  from  Virginia, 
flung  themselves  upon  Thomas's  command,  they  would 
call  out,  "  You  are  not  fighting  conscripts  now !"  and  as 
Thomas's  men  charged  back,  they  would  shout  in  turn, 
"  You  are  not  fighting  with  Eastern  store-clerks !"  On 
the  second  day  (September  20th),  Thomas's  corps  was  still 
in  front,  supported  by  one  division  (Johnson's)  of  Mc- 
Cook's  corps,  and  one  (Palmer's)  of  Crittenden's,  while 
the  remainder  of  McCook's  corps  was  posted  on 
Thomas's  right,  and  the  remainder  of  Crittenden's 
placed  in  reserve,  near  the  point  of  junction  of  the  two, 
to  support  either,  as  circumstances  might  require.  The 
battle  commenced  early,  and  the  rebels  came  up  in  solid 
masses,  pressing  heavily  on  Thomas's  lines,  and  seeking 
for  some  weak  point  which  they  might  penetrate.  They 
sought  in  vain  for  hours:  every  attack  was  repulsed, 
with  heavy  loss.  The  fighting  had  been  continuous 
from  about  sunrise  till  one  o'clock,  when  the  misconcep- 
tion of  an  order  of  General  Rosecrans  afforded  to  the 
rebels  the  opportunity  they  had  so  long  sought  of  pen- 
etrating the  Union  lines,  and  they  were  not  slow  to  avail 
themselves  of  it.  They  advanced  rapidly  and  heavily, 
and  pouring  their  columns  in  at  the  gap,  cut  off  a  part 
of  Crittenden's  and  McCook's  corps  from  Thomas,  and 
forced  them  back  in  confusion.  Seven  brigades  were 


176  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

thus  lost  for  the  day,  by  an  array  already  far  inferior  in 
numbers  to  the  enemy,  and  Thomas's  command  was 
flanked.  General  Rosecrans  and  Generals  McCook  and 
Crittenden  were  with  the  portion  thus  cut  ofl*,  and  were 
unable  again  to  reach  that  portion  of  the  battle-field  where 
.Thomas  still  held  his  ground,  grim  and  defiant,  against 
the  hosts  which  sought  to  swallow  him  up.  Hitherto  he 
had  been  regarded  by  the  generals  commanding  the 
armies  in  which  he  had  fought,  as  a  brave,  trustworthy, 
prudent  officer, — one  who  would  be  found  in  his  place, 
doing  his  duty,  but  not  as  a  man  of  genius  or  high 
strategic  ability ;  but,  in  this  time  of  peril  he  developed 
qualities  and  improvised  combinations  which  would  have 
done  honor  to  any  general  of  modern  times.  We  have 
said  he  was  flanked  by  this  disastrous  break,  and  the 
rush  of  the  enemy  into  the  gap ;  we  may  add,  that  Gen- 
eral Rosecrans,  as  well  as  Generals  McCook  and  Critten- 
den, believed  the  day  lost,  and  so  telegraphed  from 
Chattanooga.  But  Thomas  had  no  idea  of  losing  the 
day.  Wheeling  his  troops  within  the  jaws  of  Frick's 
gap,  where  the  mountain-walls,  precipitous  and  bold, 
prevented  another  flank  movement,  he  stood  like  a  lion 
at  bay,  and  with  the  remnant  of  that  army  fought  hour 
after  hour.  Thrice  he  was  compelled  to  change  his  po- 
sition and  shorten  his  lines,  falling  somewhat  further 
back  into  the  jaws  of  the  gap,  and  when  at  last  his  men, 
exhausted  by  two  days  of  hard  fighting,  without  relief, 
food,  or  rest,  were  compelled  to  stand  up  against  the 
whole  force  of  the  rebel  army,  now  more  than  two  to 
their  one, — a  force  hurled  upon  them  with  all  the  rage  of 
wolves  disappointed  of  their  prey, — Thomas  called  up 
Granger's  reserve,  held  back  till  then,  and  the  three 
fresh  brigades  under  the  immediate  command  of  Gen- 
eral Steedman  of  Ohio,  repulsed  them  three  times  in  the 


GENERAL    THOMAS. 

space  of  forty  minutes  with  most  frightful  slaughter,  and 
compelled  them  to  withdraw,  leaving  the  field  to  Thomas 
and  his  unconquered  heroes.  During  the  night  General 
Thomas  fell  back  three  miles,  and  took  up  a  stronger 
position  near  Rossville,  where  he  formed  his  troops  in 
line  of  battle,  and  remained  during  the  whole  of  the 
next  day  (Monday,  September  21st) ;  but  no  enemy  ap- 
pearing, they  marched  in  the  evening  to  Chattanooga, 
and  entered  it  in  order,  and  without  loss  of  material 
beyond  that  lost  on  the  20th.  General  Rosecrans  had, 
on  reaching  Chattanooga,  immediately  put  the  town  in  a 
state  of  defence,  had  placed  the  train  in  safety,  and  re- 
organized the  retreating  troops,  so  that  on  Monday 
morning  they  were  sent  to  support  General  Thomas  ;  and 
Generals  McCook  and  Crittenden  had  returned  to  Ross- 
ville, and  rendered  assistance  in  placing  the  troops  in  the 
new  lines  of  defence  there.  But  without  detracting 
in  the  least  from  the  merits  of  General  Rosecrans,  and 
his  other  corps-commanders,  who  on  this  occasion  were 
rather  the  victims  of  unfavorable  circumstances  than 
personally  blameworthy,  the  fact  remains,  that  but  for 
the  undaunted  courage,  and  extraordinary  military 
ability  of  General  Thomas  on  that  day,  we  should  have 
lost  our  army,,  lost 'Chattanooga,  and  the  whole  hard- 
won  fruits  of  the  blood  and  toil  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  for  the  previous  year.  It  was  an  honorable 
and  deserved  encomium  which  General  Rosecrans  paid 
to  him  in  his  report,  when  he  said  :  "  To  Major-General 
Thomas,  the  true"  soldier,  the  prudent  and  undaunted 
commander,  the  modest  and  incorruptible  patriot,  the 
thanks  and  the  gratitude  of  the  country  are  due  for  his 
conduct  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga." 

On  the  19th  of  October,  an.  order  was  received  from 
the  War  Department,  relieving  General  Rosecrans  from 


OUR    GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  ap- 
pointing General  Thomas  his  successor.  Meantime,  a 
part  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  then  under  the  command 
of  General  Burnside  at  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  had  arrived 
at  Chattanooga.  Two  corps  from  the  army  of  the  Poto- 
mac, under  command  of  General  Hooker,  and  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee,  under  General  W.  T.  Sher- 
man, were  ordered  to  Chattanooga ;  and  General  Grant 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  all  these  armies,  as 
well  as  the  other  forces  on  the  Mississippi,  the  whole 
constituting  the  grand  Military  Division  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. At  the  same  time,  with  these  changes  of  com- 
manders, General  Thomas  was  appointed  a  brigadier- 
general  in  the  regular  army,  for  his  gallant  conduct  at 
the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  his  commission  dating  from 
October  27th,  1863. 

On  assuming  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland, 
General  Thomas  found  that  army  in  a  critical  condition. 
The  enemy  had  captured  some  of  their  supply  trains,  and 
had  obtained  possession  of  a  portion  of  the  Nashville  and 
Chattanooga  railroad, — thus  necessitating  the  transporta- 
tion of  all  the  supplies  for  this  large  army,  and  the  re- 
inforcements which  it  was  receiving,  over  sixty  miles  of 
the  worst  road  in  the  United  States,'  across  the  Cumber- 
land mountains  and  Walden's  ridge,  a  road  in  which 
from  six  to  eight  miles  a  day  was  the  greatest  distance 
which  the  trains  could  accomplish,  and  even  that  dis* 
tance  at  a  terrible  sacrifice  of  draft  animals.  The  army 
was  placed  upon  half  rations,  and  the  cavalry  horses  (an 
arm  of  the  service  of  the  greatest  importance  in  that  re- 
gion) were  dying  by  scores  daily  for  want  of  forage. 
Added  to  this,  the  rebel  force,  strengthened  by  still 
further  reinforcements,  was  daily  growing  bolder,  and 
threatened  to  bombard  Chattanooga. 


GENERAL    THOMAS.  179 

In  this  emergency  General  Thomas  did  all  in  his  power 
to  improve  the  condition  of  his  command.  The  defences 
of  Chattanooga  were  strengthened,  excursions  made  by  the 
cavalry  in  search  of  forage;  pontoons  prepared,  guns 
mounted ;  and  all  that  could  be  accomplished  before  the 
other  armies  came  up,  was  done.  With  the  coming  of 
General  Grant,  and  the  arrival  of  the  two  corps  from  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  and  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee, 
aifairs  assumed  a  more  encouraging  appearance.  By  a 
bold  and  skilful  stroke,  the  distance  which  supplies 
were  transported  by  wagon-train  was  reduced  from  sixty 
miles  to  ten ;  Hooker's  command  seized  and  held  the 
railroad  to  Wauhatchie ;  Sherman  was  busy  with  his 
boats  and  pontoons  near  the  mouth  of  North  Chicka- 
mauga  creek ;  and  Grant  was  arranging  in  silence  and 
quiet  his  plans  for  driving  Bragg^S  forces  from  the  front 
of  Chattanooga.  At  length  the  full  time  had  come; 
Bragg  had  sent  his  insolent  letter,  requiring  the  removal 
of  non-combatants  from  Chattanooga,  as  he  was  about  to 
shell  the  city.  Hooker's  command  -had  by  a  dexterous 
movement,  supported  by  General  Thomas,  driven  the 
enemy  from  Lookout  mountain,  and  planted  the  Union 
flag  on  the  bold  brow  of  that  lofty  eminence ;  Sherman 
had  crossed  the  Tennessee  and  Chickamauga  creek,  cap- 
tured the  first  works  of  the  enemy  at  the  isolated  ex- 
tremity of  Mission  ridge,  and  sent  his  cavalry  eastward 
to  cut  the  railroad  lines;  and  Thomas's  army,  hitherto 
spectators,  were  in  their  turn  to  be  called  upon  for  work. 
On  the  24th  of  November  they  sallied  forth  from  Chat- 
tanooga, and  by  a  bold  and  rapid  dash  possessed  them- 
selves of  the  strong  works  of  the  enemy  on  Orchard 
knob,  fronting  Chattanooga,  and  commanding  a  part 
of  the  rebel  fortifications  on  Mission  ridge.  To  this 
point  General  Grant  advanced  the  same  day  with  the 


180  OUK   GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

whole  of  General  Thomas's  army,  and  a  part  of 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  Howard's  corps  from 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  On  the  25th,  after  Sherman 
had  made  his  persistent  attacks  on  Fort  Buckner,  and 
Hooker  had  moved  southward  to  take  Fort  Bivckinridge 
in  the  rear,  General  Gordon  Granger's  Fourth  corps,  of 
Thomas's  army  (the  consolidated  Twentieth  and  Twenty- 
first  corps,  McCook's  and  Crittenden's),  was  ordered  to 
assault  Fort  Bragg,  and  in  obedience  to  the  order,  made 
that  wonderful  charge  up  Mission  ridge  which  will  live 
in  history  as  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  and  daring 
assaults  ever  attempted.  The  soldiers  of  the  corps  were 
bound  to  retrieve  their  reputation,  and  to  wipe  away  any 
disgrace  which  might  attach  to  them  for  their  retreat  at 
Chickamauga,  and  nobly  they  acccomplished  their  purpose. 
After  the  defeat  and  flight  of  Bragg,  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland, increased  to  60,000  men,  and  brought  up  to  the 
highest  state  of  efficiency  by  its  able  commander,  remained 
in  the  vicinity  of  Chattanooga,  though  detachments  from 
it  occasionally  reconnoitred  the  enemy's  position,  and  on 
two  or  three  occasions  had  some  severe  fighting.  When 
General  Grant  was  appointed  lieutenant-general,  and 
promoted  to  the  command  of  the  armies  of  the  United 
States,  General  Sherman  was,  at  his  request,  placed  in 
command  of  the  grand  Military  Division  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  General  Thomas  was  thus  subordinated  to  an 
officer  who  was  not  only  his  junior  in  years  and  military 
experience,  but  who  had,  in  1862,  been  a  division  com- 
mander under  him.  Many  of  our  generals  would  have 
objected  to  serve  under  such  circumstances,  and  would 
have  asked  to  be  relieved  from  their  commands;  but 
General  Thomas  was  too  pure  a  patriot  and  too  good  a 
soldier  to  take  oifence  at  General  Sherman's  promotion 
over  his  head.  He  knew  well  Sherman's  military  abili- 


GENERAL    THOMAS.  >     181 

ties,  had  confidence  in  his  plans  for  the  coming  cam- 
paign, and  while  doing  his  duty  by  his  own  command, 
rendered  all  the  service  in  his  power  to  General  Sherman, 
and  obeyed  promptly  and  implicitly  his  orders. 

When,  on  the  7th  of  May,  1864,  the  grand  army  of 
General  Sherman  was  put  in  motion  for  Atlanta,  General 
Thomas's  army  constituted  the  centre  ;  and  at  some  peri- 
ods of  the  campaign,  when  the  position  required  the 
transference  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio  to  the  right  or 
left,  it  acted  as  both  centre  and  right  or  left  wing.  The 
campaign,  though,  one  of  extraordinary  hardship  and  en- 
durance, was  one  of  comparatively  few  battles,  the  princi- 
pal being  the  battle  of  Buzzard's  Roost  gap,  Resaca, 
Dallas,  Kenesaw  mountain,  the  three  battles  of  the  20th, 
22d,  and  28th  of  July,  near  Atlanta,  and  the  battle  near 
Jonesboro.  In  all  these  General  Thomas  took  an  active 
part ; — at  Buzzard's  Roost,  making  the  demonstration  in 
front ;  at  Resaca,  pressing  upon  the  enemy's  lines  and 
ousting  him  from  his  position.  In  the  actions  about  Dal- 
las, he  attacked  and  drove  the  enemy  from  his  position 
at  New  Hope  church.  At  Kenesaw  mountain,  besides  re- 
ceiving and  repulsing  the  assault  of  the  enemy  at  the 
Kulp  house,  he  led  one  of  the  assaulting  columns  against 
the  impregnable  position  of  the  rebels  on  the  mountain. 
On  the  20th  of  July,  his  army  alone  sustained  the  shock 
of  Hood's  furious  attack,  and,  after  a  severe  battle,  drove 
the  enemy  back  to  his  in  trench  merits,  with  very  heavy 
loss.  The  action  of  the  22d  was  confined  mainly  to  the 
armies  of  the  Tennessee  and  Ohio,  but  General  Thomas 
had  his  army  ready  to  close  up  and  hold  all  that  had 
been  gained.  The  battle  of  the  28th  was  fought  by  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  Palmer's  corps  of  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland.  At  Jonesboro,  it  was  Davis's  Four- 
teenth corps  of  his  army  that  assaulted  and  drove  the 

16 


182  OUK   GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

enemy  southward,  capturing  almost  an  entire  brigade, 
while  Slocum's  (the  Twentieth)  occupied  Atlanta.  After 
the  capture  of  Atlanta,  when  Hood  had  succeeded  in 
rallying  his  beaten  and  shattered  forces,  and  moved 
northward  to  cut  General  Sherman's  lines  of  communica- 
tion, General  Thomas  was  dispatched  after  him  to  pre- 
vent him  from  accomplishing  any  considerable  mischief. 
When  General  Sherman  had  determined  upon  his  expe- 
dition towards  Savannah,  he  placed  all  the  troops  he 
could  spare  under  General  Thomas's  command,  with 
orders  to  entice  Hood  westward,  and  fight  him,  if  he 
would  fight,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Nashville.  The 
policy  suggested  by  Sherman  was  admirably  carried  out 
by  Thomas.  Hood  and  Beauregard  followed  the  course 
of  the  Tennessee  river  as  far  as  Athens,  Tenn.,<  while 
Breckinridge  was  sent  from  Central  Georgia  north 
towai-ds  Knoxville ;  and  Hood  believed  he  could  form  a 
junction  of  the  two  forces  somewhere  near  Nashville.  As 
Hood  moved  north  from  Athens,  Thomas  fell  back 
slowly  but  steadily,  at  the  same  time  summoning  rein- 
forcements from  all  quarters  to  concentrate  at  Nashville. 
Hood  moved  forward,  reckless  as  usual,  and  confident  of 
an  easy  victory,  which  should  fulfil  Jefferson  Davis's  pre- 
diction that  within  sixty  days  Tennessee  should  again  be 
in  the  possession  of  the  Confederate  government. 

Thomas  continued  to  fall  back,  leaving,  however,  a 
strong  force  at  Franklin,  under  General  Schofield,  and 
a  smaller  one,  though  in  a  strong  position,  at  Murfrees- 
boro,  while  he  himself  made  his  headquarters  at  Nash- 
ville. On  came  Hood,  confident  of  victory,  to  Franklin, 
where,  at  4  p.  M.  of  the  30th  of  November,  he  gave  bat- 
tle to  General  Schofield.  His  attack  was  so  sudden  that 
he  succeeded  at  first  in  penetrating  to  the  second  line  of 
the  Union  troops ;  but  General  Stanley  soon  rallied  his 


GENERAL   THOMAS.  183 

men,  on  whom  the  sharpest  attack  had  fallen,  and  charg- 
ing in  turn  drove  the  rebels  back  with  fearful  slaughter. 
Again  and  again  did  the  rebels  charge  up  to  the  lines, 
only  to  be  repulsed  each  time  with  heavier  loss.  The 
battle  continued  till  9  P.  M.,  the  Union  troops  swinging 
round  on  the  rebel  flank,  and  mowing  them  down  by 
hundreds.  The  rebels  lost  in  this  battle  nearly  6,000  in 
killed  and  wounded,  and  1,000  prisoners.  Among  their 
losses  were  thirteen  generals,  of  whom  six  were  killed 
(one  the  commander  of  a  corps,  Major-Gen eral  Cle- 
burne),  six  wounded,  and  one  captured.  After  the  bat- 
tle, General  Schofield  fell  back  to  Nashville,  where  were 
.fast  collecting  a  fine  army  materially  outnumbering 
Hood's.  The  rebel  commander  followed,  and  rashly  at- 
tempted to  invest  and  besiege  Nashville.  Genei-al 
Thomas  permitted  him  to  amuse  himself  in  this  way  for 
nearly  two  weeks,  but  on  the  15th  of  December  came 
out  and  attacked  his  left  with  great  fury,  driving  it  from 
the  river  below  the  city  as  far  as  the  Franklin  pike,  a 
distance  of  eight  miles,  capturing  Chalmers'  train  and 
headquarters,  another  train  of  twenty  wagons,  1,000 
prisoners,  and  sixteen  pieces  of  artillery.  The  enemy 
fell  back  in  great  confusion,  and  was  pursued  by  our 
forces.  On  the  next  day,  December  16.th,  General 
Thomas  followed  Hood,  and  at  about  8  A.  M.  gave  battle 
again,  and  after  a  most  desperate  conflict,  lasting  through 
the  entire  day,  routed  him,  right,  left,  and  centre ;  cut 
his  army  in  two,  and  hurled  it  back,  broken,  crushed, 
and  disorganized,  towards  Franklin,  captured  forty-nine 
pieces  of  artillery  and  5,0.00  prisoners,  while  the  battle- 
field was  strewed  with  small-arms.  Three  thousand  of 
the  enemy  were  killed  and  wounded,  while  Thomas's 
entire  loss  was  not  quite  3,000.  The  pursuit  was  con- 
tinued on  the  17th,  18th,  19th,  and  20th,  the  rear-guard 


OUK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

being  attacked  and  severely  handled  on  the  17th.  On 
the  15th  the  rebel  General  Forrest  attacked  Generals 
Rousseau  and  Milroy,  at  Murfreesboro,  and  was  terribly 
repulsed,  losing  over  1,500  in  killed  and  wounded,  all  of 
whom  fell  into  Rousseau's  hands.  Hood  finally  made 
his  escape  across  the  Tennessee  river,  with  the  shattered 
remnant  of  his  army,  having  lost  eighteen  generals, 
17,000  men,  and  sixty-eight  pieces  of  artillery;  while  the 
remainder  of  his  troops  were  too  thoroughly  demoralized 
to  be  of  much  service  for  months  to  come. 

For  this  gallant  exploit,  which  was  in  reality  one  of 
the  most  decisive  victories  of  the  war,  General  Thomas 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major-general  in  the  regu- 
lar army,  in  place  of  Major-General  Fremont,  resigned. 
He  also  received  a  special  vote  of  thanks  from  Congress. 

Since  this  grand  victory,  there  "being  really  no  force 
opposed  to  him,  General  Thomas  has  sent  a  considerable 
portion  of  his  troops  eastward,  where  a  part  of  them, 
iinder  the  gallant  Schofiekl,  have  participated  in  the  cap- 
ture of  Wilmington,  and  another  portion  have  reinforced 
General  Grant ;  while  General  Thomas  himself,  after  a 
brief  furlough,  after  sending  a  strong  detachment  to  co- 
operate with  General  Canby  in  Alabama,  to  secure  the 
capture  of  the  strongholds  of  the  rebels  at  Selma  and 
Montgomery,  has  moved  with  his  main  army,  now 
largely  reinforced,  towards  the  Virginia  and  Tennessee 
railroad,  with  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  as  hif5  objective. 
General  Thomas,  being  from  a  State  now  in  rebellion, 
has  had  no  political  influence  at  his  back  to  advocate 
his  claims  to  advancement  or  extol  his  victories  in  Con- 
gress, and  he  is  of  too  modest  and  retiring  a  disposition 
ever  to  push  them  himself.  Hence  he  has  not  received 
in  the  past  the  honor  to  which  his  great  merit  entitled 
him  ;  but  he  has  been  content  to  work  his  way  upward 


GENERAL  THOMAS.  185 

and  let  his  countrymen  judge  of  what  he  had  been 
able  to  do  for  his  country ;  and  in  the  end,  modest 
merit  has  triumphed. 

In  person,  General  Thomas  is  tall,  standing  about  six 
feet  two  in  his  stockings,  and  finely  proportioned.  His 
complexion  is  fair,  though  now  bronzed  by  exposure,  his 
hair  brown,  his  beard  sandy,  his  eye  blue  and  keen,  his 
countenance  so  frank,  open,  and  winning,  that  it  attracts 
at  once.  He  is  thought  personally  to  resemble  Washing- 
ton, with  whom  he  has  also  many  traits  of  character  in 
common.  He  is  greatly  beloved  by  his  soldiers,  who 
speak  of  him  as  "  Pap"  Thomas,  and  feel  the  sort  of  con- 
fidence in"his  knowledge,  his  military  skill,  and  his  good- 
ness, which  a  young  child  feels  for  its  father.  It  would 
be  very  hard  to  persuade  those  who  have  served  under 
him  from  Mill  Spring  onward,  that  any  other  general 
in  the  army  was  quite  equal  to  "  Pap"  Thomas. 

If  a  blameless  life,  pure  and  noble  aspirations,  remark- 
able modesty,  an  amiable  and  even  temper,  great 
patience  and  perseverance,  and  untiring  energy  and  per- 
sistency, with  a  calm,  clear  head,  close  observation,  and 
a  thorough  mastery  of  his  profession,  are  the  qualities  to 
make  a  good  general,  then  George  H.  Thomas  is  entitled 
to  rank  among  the  great  and  good  generals  of  our  time. 

16* 


IV. 
Major-General  Philip  Henry  Sheridan, 

GENERAL  SHERIDAN  is  by  nearly  ten  years  the  youngest 
officer  among  our  "  Great  Captains,"  having  been  born 
in  1831.  The  exact  place  of  his  birth  is  involved  in  some 
uncertainty,  the  army  registers  crediting  Massachusetts 
with  being  the  birth  State  of  the  hero ;  while  his  friends 
generally  concur  in  stating  that  he  was  born  in  Perry 
county,  Ohio.  His  parents  certainly  resided  in  that 
county  when  he  was  but  little  beyond  infancy.  An  in- 
cident of  his  early  childhood  is  still  told  in  that  vicinity 
which  indicates  his  fondness  for  horsemanship  even  then, 
and  renders  his  subsequent  success  as  a  cavalry  officer 
less  surprising.  He  was  but  five  years  of  age  when  some 
older  boys,  in  a  spirit  of  mischief,  placed  him  on  the  back 
of  a  spirited  horse  grazing  in  a  field  near  his  father's 
house,  and  started  the  horse  off  at  a  run ;  but  to  their 
terror,  the  horse  becoming  frightened,  leaped  the  fences, 
and  proceeded  at  a  break-fleck  pace  along  the  highway, 
the  little  urchin  clinging  fast  to  his  back.  The  boys  sup- 
posed that  the  child  would  inevitably  be  killed,  but  after 
a  run  of  many  miles  the  horse,  completely  exhausted  and 
covered  with  foam,  stopped  at  the  stable  of  an  hotel  where 
its  owner  was  accustomed  to  put  up,  the  child  still  on  its 
back.  The  horse  was  recognized,  and  though  the  child's 
statement  that  he  had  come  so  many  miles  on  its  back 
without  saddle  or  bridle  was  at  first  doubted,  it  was  soon 
confirmed,  and  the  villagers  began  to  question  him. 
"  Who  learned  you  to  ride  ?"  asked  one.  "  Nobody," 


188  OUK   GKEAT   CAPTAIKS. 

said  the  boy.  "Did  no  one  teach  you  how  to  sit  on  a 
horse  ?"  inquired  another.  "  Oh,  yes !  Bill  Seymour  told 
me  ta  hold  on  with  my  knees,  and  I  did."  "  Weren't 
you  scared  ?"  asked  the  villager.  "  Nary  a  bit,"  said 
the  boy.  "  I  wanted  to  go  on  further,  but  the  horse 
wouldn't  go."  "  Aren't  you  sore  ?"  continued  his  ques- 
tioner. "  Kinder,"  said  little  Phil ;  "  but  I'll  feel  better 
to-morrow,  and  then  I'll  ride  back  home."  "  That  boy," 
said  the  villager  to  his  companions,  "  has  got  pluck  enough 
to  be  an  Indian  hunter."  The  next  day  the  little  fellow 
was  sick  and  sore,  but  wanted  to  go  home,  but  the  kind- 
hearted  farmers  would  not  let  him  go  till  he  was  well. 
Meantime  the  owner  came,  and  expressed  his  surprise 
at  the  boy's  having  been  able  to  keep  his  seat,  as  the 
horse  was  vicious,  and  had  thrown  some  superior  horse- 
men. 

The  influence  of  his  friends  was  sufficient  to  secure 
young  Sheridan  an  appointment  as  cadet  at  West  Point, 
from  the  congressional  district  to  which  he  belonged, 
and  in  1848,  having  passed  with  honor  the  preliminary 
examination,  he  was  admitted  into  the  Military"  Acad- 
emy ;  and  though  at  first  he  was  not  remarkable  for 
proficiency,  and  remained  a  second  year  in  the  fourth 
class,  he  improved  rapidly  in  scholarship  as  he  went  on, 
and  exhibited  superior  excellence  in  the  more  active 
duties  of  the  course.  He  graduated  in  1853  with  honor, 
having  as  classmates  the  lamented  McPherson,  Major- 
General  Schofield,  Generals  Terrill,  Sill,  and  Tyler,  and 
the  rebel  General  Hood.  On  his  graduation,  he  entered 
the  army  as  brevet  second-lieutenant  of  infantry,  and  was 
attached  to  the  first  regiment  U.  S.  A.  He  was  at  once 
ordered  to  join  his  regiment,  then  serving  in  Texas,  and 
early  in  the  autumn  took  his  position  in  his  company  at 
Fort  Duncan.  Here  he  was  employed  constantly.in  ser- 


GENERAL    SHERIDAN.  189 

vice  against  the  Apaches  and  Camanches,  the  robber 
Indian  tribes  of  the  Southwest.  On  one  occasion,  he 
and  two  of  the  soldiers  belonging  to  the  fort  were  at- 
tacked a  short  distance  from  it  by  a  band  of  Apaches, 
when  Sheridan,  springing  instantly  upon  the  bare  back 
of  the  fiery  Mustang  from  which  the  Indian  chief  had 
just  dismounted,  galloped  to  the  fort,  called  the  soldiers 
to  arms,  and  seizing  his  pistols  without  dismounting,  rode 
back  to  the  rescue  of  the  two  men  he  had  left  behind, 
and  who,  armed  with  rifles,  were  still  fighting.  Riding 
up  to  the  Apache  chief,  he  instantly  shot  him  dead  ;  and 
then,  his  comrades  having  come  up,  rode  down  and  killed 
most  of  the  other  savages.  For  this  brilliant  affair  he 
was  entitled  to  distinction,  but  the  commanding  officer 
(since  a  rebel  general)  was  prejudiced  against  him  for 
his  Northern  birth,  and  declared  him  guilty  of  a  breach 
of  discipline  in  being  away  from  his  command. 

This  petty  persecution  was  followed  by  others,  till 
Lieutenant  Sheridan  felt  himself  compelled  to  seek  a 
transfer  to  some  other  department.  This  was  accom- 
plished in  the  spring  of  1855,  by  his  assignment  to  a  full 
second-lieutenancy  in  the  Fourth  infantry  regiment,  then 
serving  in  Oregon.  He  returned  to  New  York,  in  order 
to  sail  thence  to  the  Pacific  coast ;  and  while  waiting  for 
the  recruits  who  were  to  go  out  with  him,  was  for  two 
months  in  command  of  Fort  Wood,  in  New  York  harbor. 
In  July,  1855,  he  sailed  for  San  Francisco;  and  on  ar- 
riving there,  was  at  once  selected  to  command  the  es- 
cort which  accompanied  the  expedition  for  surveying  the 
route  for  the  proposed  branch  of  the  Pacific  railroad  to 
connect  San  Francisco  with  the  Columbia  river.  This 
accomplished,  he  was  sent  on  expeditions  into  the  Yakima 
Indian  country,  to  put  down  the  threatened  warlike  de- 
monstrations of  that  tribe.  He  succeeded  in  gaining  the 


190  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

esteem  and  confidence  of  the  Indians,  and  exerted  his 
influence  successfully  in  keeping  them  on  friendly  terms 
with  the  whites.  He  was  subsequently  selected  to  adjust 
difficulties  with  other  tribes  of  Indians,  and  accomplished 
his  mission  so  admirably  as  to  receive  high  commendation 
from  the  lieutenant-general.  He  continued  in  these  im- 
poi'tant  duties,  building  posts  among  the  Indian  tribes, 
and  greatly  beloved  by  them,  till  1861 ;  when,  on  the  res- 
ignation of  several  Southern  officers  in  order  to  join  the 
Southern  rebellion,  Lieutenant  Sheridan  was  advanced  to 
the  rank  of  first-lieutenant,  and  ordered  to  return  to  the 
East.  On  the  increase  of  the  regular  infantry  of  the 
United  States  army,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
captain  in  the  regular  army,  with  a  commission  dating 
from  May  14,  1861,  and  assigned  to  the  Thirteenth  regi- 
ment of  infantry. 

In  September,  1861,  Captain  Sheridan  was  ordered  to 
join  his  regiment  at  Jefferson  barracks,  near  St.  Louis? 
Mo.,  and  appointed  to  audit  the  claims  arising  from  the 
operations  of  the  army  during  the  campaign  in  Missouri ; 
and  this  accomplished,  he  was  appointed  chief  quarter- 
master and  commissary  of  the  army  then  organizing  for 
operations  in  Southwestern  Missouri.  This  proved  a 
laborious  duty,  but  with  his  indomitable  energy  he  suc- 
ceeded in  accomplishing  it;  and  in  March,  1862,  he  was 
appointed  chief  quartermaster  of  the  Western  Department, 
General  Halleck's  entire  command  of  sixteen  divisions, 
with  the  rank  of  major.  His  service  in  this  position  was 
short,  for  the  necessity  for  good  cavalry  commanders 
was  such,  that  his  superior  officers  were  compelled  to 
consent  to  his  service  in  the  field  in  that  capacity ;  and 
on  the  27th  of  May  he  was  commissioned  colonel  of  the 
2d  regiment  of  Michigan  Volunteer  Cavalry,  and  imme- 
diately ordered  to  the  duty  of  joining  in  the  expedition 


GENERAL   SHERIDAN.  191 

to  cut  the  railroads  south  of  Corinth,  to  prevent  the 
escape  of  the  rebels  southward  on  the  evacuation  of 
Corinth.  The  expedition  proved  successful,  though  ex- 
posed to  some  perils,  from  which  they  were  relieved  by 
the  adroit  management  of  Colonel  Sheridan.  Immedi- 
ately on  their  return  they  were  sent  out  again  to  pursue 
the  rebels,  who,  at  this  time,  were  retreating  from 
Corinth,  and  in  the  pursuit  Colonel  Sheridan's  regiment 
encountered  the  rebel  left  wing,  and  resisted  and  repelled 
the  attack  of  two  regiments  of  infantry,  two  of  cavalry, 
and  a  battery  of  artillery,  capturing  and  bringing  off, the* 
guns  of  Powell's  rebel  battery. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  Colonel  Sheridan  led  a  cavalry 
reconnoissance  below  Boonesville ;  and  at  Donaldson's 
cross-roads  met  and  signally  defeated  a  force  of  rebel 
cavalry,  under  the  notorious  Forrest.  On  the  8th  of 
June,  in  command  of  two  cavalry  regiments  (his  own 
and  the  2d  Iowa),  he  started  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy, 
drove  them  through  the  town  of  Baldwin,  which  he  cap- 
tured, and  to  Guntown,  where  he  engaged  a  force  much 
larger  than  his  own,  but  with  success,  and  before  the 
close  of  the  engagement  received  orders  to  fall  back  to 
Boonesville,  from  whence  he  accompanied  the  main  army 
back  to  Corinth. 

On  the  llth  of  June,  1862,  he  was  put  in  command  of 
a  cavalry  brigade,  and  on  the  26th,  ordered  to  take  up 
a  position  at  Boonesville,  twenty  miles  in  advance  of  the 
main  army,  and  cover  the  front  of  the  army,  at  the  same 
time  watching  the  operations  of  the  rebels  whom  he  con- 
fronted. 

While  at  this  place,  on  the  1st  of  July,  1862,  he  was 
attacked  by  a  rebel  force  of  nine  regiments,  comprising 
nearly  6,000  men,  under  command  of  General  Chal- 
mers. After  skirmishing  for  some  time  he  fell  back 


192  OUR   GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

towards  his  camp,  which  was  situated  on  the  edge  of  a 
swamp,  an  advantageous  position,  where  he  could  not 
readily  be  flanked,  and  could  hold  the  enemy  at  bay  for 
some  time.  Finding  that  the  enemy,  with  their  greatly 
superior  numbers,  were  likely  to  surround  him,  he  had 
recourse  to  strategy.  Selecting  ninety  of  his  best  men, 
armed  with  revolving  carbines  and  sabres,  he  sent  them 
around  to  the  rear  of  the  enemy  by  a  detour  of  about 
four  miles,  with  orders  to  attack  promptly  and  vigor- 
ously at  a  certain  time,  while  he  would  make  a  simulta- 
neous charge  in  front.  The  plan  proved  a  complete  suc- 
cess. The  ninety  men 'appeared  suddenly  in  the  enemy's 
rear,  not  having  been  seen  till  they  were  near  enough  to 
fire  their  carbines,  and,  having  emptied  these,  they  rushed 
with  drawn  sabres  upon  the  enemy,  who,  supposing  them 
to  be  the  advance  guard  of  a  large  force,  were  thrown 
into  disorder ;  and,  before  they  had  time  to  recover, 
Sheridan  charged  them  in  front  with  such  fury  that  they 
fled  from  the  field  in  complete  disorder,  utterly  routed. 
Sheridan  pui'sued,  and  they  continued  their  flight,  ut- 
terly panic-stricken,  to  Knight's  mills,  twenty  miles 
south  from  Boonesville,  throwing  away  their  arms, 
knapsacks,  coats,  and  every  thing  which  could  impede 
their  flight. 

General  Grant  reported  this  brilliant  affair  to  the  "War 
Department,  with  a  recommendation  that  Colonel  Sheri- 
dan should  be  promoted.  This  recommendation  was 
granted,  and  his  commission  of  brigadier-general  bore 
date  July  1,  1862. 

At  this  time  the  rebels  in  his  front  had  but  one  stream 
(Twenty  Mile  creek)  from  which  to  water  their  live- 
stock, and  from  his  post  at  Boonesville  General  Sheridan 
frequently  made  sudden  dashes  in  that  direction,  and 
captured  large  quantities  of  their  stock,  often  two  or 


GENERAL,    SHERIDAN.  193 

three  hundred  at  a  time.  In  August,  1862,  he  was  at- 
tacked by  a  rebel  cavalry  force  under  Colonel  Faulkner, 
near  Rienzi,  Mississippi,  but  after  a  sharp  engagement 
the  rebels  were  defeated  and  retreated  in  haste,  Sheridan 
pursuing  them  to 'near  Ripley,  and,  charging  upon  them 
before  they  could  reach  their  main  column,  dispersed  the 
whole  force,  and  captured  a  large  number  of  prisoners. 
Early  in  September,  1862,  General  Grant  having  ascer- 
tained that  the  rebel  General  Bragg  was  moving  towards 
Kentucky,  detached  a  portion  of  his  own  forces  to  rein- 
force the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  then  under  command  of 
General  Buell.  Among  these  were  General  Sheridan, 
and  his  old  command,  the  Second  Michigan  Cavalry. 
As  General  Grant  expected,  General  Buell  gave  Sheri- 
dan a  larger  command,  assigning  him  to  the  charge  of 
the  third  division  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio.  He  assumed 
command  of  this  division  on  the  20th  of  September,  1862. 
At  this  time  General  Bragg  was  approaching  Louisville, 
which  was  not  in  a  good  condition  for  defence,  and  Gen- 
eral Sheridan  was  charged  with  the  duty  of  defending 
it.  In  a  single  night,  with  the  division  under  his  com- 
mand, he  constructed  a  strong  line  of  rifle-pits  from  the 
railroad  depot  to  the  vicinity  of  Portland,  and  thus  se- 
cured the  city  against  the  danger  of  surprise.  On  the 
25th  of  September,  General  Buell  arrived  at  Louisville, 
and  soon  commenced  a  reorganization  of  the  Army  of 
the  Ohio,  now  largely  reinforced.  In  this  reorganiza- 
tion, General  Sheridan  was  placed  in  command  of  the 
eleventh  division,  and  entered  upon  his  duties  on  the 
1st  of  October. 

Buell  soon  took  the  ofiensive  again,  and  began  pushing 
the  rebels,  who  had  already  commenced  a  retreat,  but 
were  embarrassed  by  the  amount  of  plunder  they  had 
collected.  On  the  8th  of  October,  the  rebels  made  a 

17 


194         .  .OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

stand  near  Perryville,  Ky.,  for  the  double  purpose  of 
checking  the  pursuit  aud  allowing  their  trains  to  move 
forward  out  of  harm's  way.  The  battle  which  followed, 
though  a  severe  one,  was  not  decisive,  owing  to  some 
defects  in  the  handling  of  the  forces,  and  Bragg  was 
allowed  to  make  good  his  retreat  with  most  of  his  plun- 
der and  with  but  moderate  loss :  but  in  it  Sheridan 
played  a  distinguished  part,  holding  the  key  of  the  Union 
position,  and  resisting  the  onsets  of  the  enemy  again  and 
again,  with  great  bravery  and  skill,  driving  them  at  last 
from  the  open  ground  in  front  by  a  bayonet  charge. 
This  accomplished,  he  saw  that  they  were  gaining  advan- 
tage on  the  left  of  the  Union  line,  and  moving  forward 
his  artillery,  directed  so  terrible  a  fire  upon  the  rebel  ad- 
vance that  he  drove  them  from  the  open  ground  on 
which  they  had  taken  position.  Enraged  at  being  thus 
foiled,  they  charged  with  great  fury  upon  his  lines,  de- 
termined to  carry  the  point  at  all  hazards ;  but,  with  the 
utmost  coolness,  he  opened  upon  them  at  short  range 
with  such  a  murderous  fire  of  grape  and  canister,  that 
they  fell  back  in  great  disorder,  leaving  their  dead  and 
wounded  in  winrows  in  front  of  the  batteries.  The  loss 
in  Sheridan's  division  in  killed  and  wounded  was  over 
four  hundred,  but  his  generalship  had  saved  the  Union 
army  from  defeat.  On  the  30th  of  October,  General 
Rosecrans  succeeded  General  Buell  as  commander  of  the 
Army  of  the  Ohio,  which,  with  enlarged  territory,  was 
thenceforward  to  be  known  as  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land, and  in  the  reorganization  General  Sheridan  was  as- 
signed to  the  command  of  one  of  the  divisions  of 
McCook's  corps,  which  constituted  the  right  wing  of  that 
army.  He  remained  for  the  next  seven  or  eight  weeks 
in  the  vicinity  of  Nashville,  and  then  moved  with  his 
corps,  on  the  26th  of  December,  1862,  towards  Murfrees- 


GENERAL   SHERIDAN.  195 

boro.  During  the  26th,  his  division  met  the  enemy  on 
the  Nolensville  road,  and  skirmished  with  them  to  No- 
lensville  and  Knob  gap,  occupying  at  night  the  latter 
important  position.  The  next  morning  a  dense  fog  ob- 
scured the  horizon  ;  but  as  soon  as  it  lifted,  Sheridan 
pressed  forward  and  drove  the  enemy  from  the  village 
of  Triune,  which  he  occupied. 

The  next  three  days  were  spent  in  skirmishing,  and  in 
gradually  drawing  nearer,  over  the  almost  impassable 
roads,  to  Murfreesboro,  the  goal  of  their  hopes.  At 
length,  on  the  night  of  the  SOth  of  December,  the  army 
was  drawn  up  in  battle  array  on  the  banks  of  Stone  riv- 
er ;  and  to  the  right  wing  was  assigned  the  duty  of  re-  - 
pelling  the  first  onset  of  the  enemy,  and  holding  it  at 
bay,  while  the  left  wing  should  swing  round  upon  Mur- 
freesboro. Sheridan's  position  was  on  the  extreme  left 
of  the  right  wing,  joining  the  centre.  To  his  right  were 
Davis's  and  Johnson's  divisions  ;  on  his  left,  Negley,  in 
command  of  one  of  Thomas's  divisions.  The  record  of 
that  fearful  battle,  the  next  day,  belongs,  properly,  to 
history.  The  enemy,  at  dawn,  falling  en  masse  upon  the 
extreme  end  (Johnson's  division)  of  the  right  wing,  rolled 
it  up,  and  drove  back  in  utter  discomfiture  brigade  after 
brigade,  till  Johnson's  and  Davis's  divisions  were  crum- 
bled in  pieces,  and  the  victorious  rebel  column  swept 
down  in  irresistible  force  upon  Sheridan's  command, 
hoping  to  roll  that  back  also,  but  were  met  with  a  reso- 
lution and  determination  which  checked  for  the  time 
their  further  progress.  His  support  on  the  right  (Davis's 
division)  being  gone,  Sheridan  wheeled  in  the  face  of 
the  foe,  and  changed  front,  so  as  to  avoid  being  flanked 
on  the  right.  On  came  the  enemy,  only  to  be  beaten 
back  ;  but  relying  on  their  great  superiority  of  numbers, 
they  returned  to  the  charge  four  times ;  and  at  length 


196  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

the  rebels,  having  crushed  Negley's  division  on  his  left, 
and  in  spite  of  another  change  of  front  threatening  to 
outflank  and  surround  him,  and  slain  two  of  his  brigade 
commanders,  and  nearly  every  colonel  in  the  division,  he 
found  himself  compelled  to  fall  back,  but  did  so  in  per- 
fect order.  This  tenacity  in  holding  his  position  against 
such  overwhelming  odds  aided  materially  in  enabling 
General  Rosecrans  to  retrieve  the  disaster  of  the  day, 
and  on  the  subsequent  days  turn  this  defeat  into  a  glo- 
rious victory.  Falling  back  in  good  order,  they  did  not 
disturb  the  lines  of  Rousseau's  division,  but  united  with 
and  strengthened  it  to  hold  the  rebels  finally  in  check, 
while  General  Rosecrans  formed  a  new  and  impregnable 
line.  During  the  subsequent  days,  though  holding  an 
important  position,  Sheridan's  division  were  not  seriously 
engaged. 

General  Rosecrans,  in  his  report  of  this  battle,  pays 
the  following  high  compliment  to  Sheridan's  generalship : 
"Sheridan,  after  sustaining  four  successive  attacks,  grad- 
ually swung  his  right  round  southeasterly  to  a  north- 
western direction,  repulsing  the  enemy  four  times,  losing 
the  gallant  General  Sill  of  his  right,  and  Colonel  Roberts 
of  his  left  brigade ;  when,  having  exhausted  his  ammuni- 
tion, Negley's  division  being  in  the  same  predicament 
and  heavily  pressed,  after  desperate  fighting  they  fell 
back  from  the  position  held  at  the  commencement, 
through  the  cedar  woods,  in  which  Rousseau's  division, 
with  a  portion  of  Negley's  and  Sheridan's,  met  the  ad- 
vancing enemy  and  checked  his  movements." 

For  his  gallantry  in  this  battle,  General  Rosecrans 
suggested,  and  the  President  recommended  Sheridan's 
promotion  to  the  rank  of  major-general,  his  commission 
to  date  from  December  31st,  1862.  He  was  at  once 
confirmed  by  the  Senate. 


GENERAL   SHERIDAN.  197 

In  March,  1863,  General  Sheridan  commanded  a  scout- 
ing expedition,  in  which  he  fully  reconnoitred  the 
enemy's  position,  took  a  considerable  number  of  pris- 
oners, and  defeated  several  bodies  of  rebel  troops  which 
were  sent  out  to  meet  him,  and  returned  with  a  loss  of 
only  five  killed  and  five  wounded.  For  some  months  he 
was  engaged  in  bringing  his  men  into  the  highest  state 
of  drill  and  discipline1,  while  awaiting  a  forward  move- 
ment. 

The  advance,  so  long  expected,  took  place  on  the  23d 
of  June,  1863,  and  to  Sheridan's  division  was  assigned 
the  duty  of  driving  the  rebels  out  of  Liberty  Gap,  a 
strong  mountain  pass  which  was  one  of  the  keys  to  the 
rebel  position.  He  was  successful  in  this  enterprise  and 
soon  occupied  Shelbyville,  which  had  been  evacuated  by 
the  enemy  as  untenable  after  the  capture  of  the  gap. 
He  did  not  remain  long  here,  however,  but  pushed  for- 
ward to  Winchester,  Tennessee,  which,  by  a  flank  move- 
ment, he  had  compelled  the  enemy  to  abandon.  The 
subsequent  movements  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
in  approaching  Chattanooga  were  slow,  in  consequence 
of  the  necessity  of  repairing  the  railroad  and  bringing 
forward  supplies,  and  there  were  no  incidents  of  import- 
ance till  about  the  beginning  of  September,  when  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  crossed  the  Tennessee  at  dif- 
ferent points, — Sheridan's  division  moving  to  Bridge- 
port, and  crossing  on  a  pontoon  bridge,  and  thence  pass- 
ing by  way  of  Trenton  to  Winston  gap  of  Lookout 
mountain,  thus  flanking  the  rebel  position  at  Chatta- 
nooga, and  compelling  them  to  evacuate  that  position. 
Though  General  Rosecrans  had  put  a  small  garrison 
into  Chattanooga,  he  well  knew  that  he  could  only  hold 
it  by  fighting  Bragg's  army,  which  had  retreated  to- 
wards Lafayette  ;  and  General  Sheridan,  who  had  been 
17* 


198  OTTK   GEEAT   CAPTAINS. 

ordered  to  make  a  reconnoissance,  ascertained,  on  the 
1 2th  of  September,  that  the  rebels  had  been  largely  re- 
inforced; the  paroled  prisoners  of  Vicksburg,  one  corps 
from  Lee's  army,  and  considerable  bodies  of  troops  from 
Charleston  and  Mobile  having  joined  them.  These  ad- 
ditions made  their  force  materially  larger  than  that  of 
General  Rosecrans,  which  also,  owing  to  the  topograph- 
ical difficulties  encountered,  was  scattered.  By  great 
efforts,  however,  he  succeeded  in  concentrating  them, 
and.on  the  19th  and  20th  of  September  was  fought  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga — a  battle  attended  with  great  loss 
of  life  and  manifold  disasters,  but  which,  after  all,  left  in 
the  hands  of  the  Union  army  the  substantial  fruits  of 
victory,  inasmuch  as  they  held  Chattanooga,  the  prize 
for  which  both  armies  were  contending.  In  this  great 
battle,  General  Sheridan  bore  an  honorable  part.  On 
the  first  day,  his  division,  moving  up  promptly  at  the 
word  of  command,  saved  Wood's  division  from,  disaster, . 
and  retrieved  the  fortunes  of  the  day.  On  the  20th,  as 
at  Stone  river,  the  breaking  of  Brannan's  and  Wood's 
divisions  imperilled  Sheridan's,  and  though  a  part  of  it 
charged  gallantly  against  the  on-cbming  foe,  it  was  at 
last  flanked  and  compelled  to  fall  back  by  the  enemy ; 
but  owing  to  the  thorough  discipline  enforced  by  its 
commander  it  rallied  in  good  order  in  Dry  valley,  and 
taking  a  circuitous  route  came  up  by  the  Lafayette  road 
in  season  to  support  General  Thomas  effectively  in  the 
long  and  desperate  struggle  of  the  afternoon  and  even- 
ing. It  has  always  been  a  noticeable  feature  of  General 
Sheridan's  military  character,  that  he  possessed  in  an  ex- 
traordinary degree  the  power  of  rallying,  reforming,  and 
leading  on  his  men  to  victory  when  they  were  broken 
and  discomfited.  We  shall  see  other  instances  of  this  in 
his  history. 


GENERAL   SHERIDAN.  199 

A  change  of  commanders  followed  soon  after.  Gen- 
eral Thomas  succeeded  General  Rosecrans ;  the  two  corps 
commanded  by  Generals  McCook  and  Crittenden  were 
consolidated  into  one,  under  the  command  of  General 
Gordon  Granger ;  and  two  corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Po- 
tomac, under  General  Hooker,  and  the  army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee, under  General  Sherman,  were  added  to  the  force 
at  Chaitanooga,  and  the  whole  force  placed  under  the 
command  of  General  Grant.  General  Sheridan  com- 
manded an  enlarged  division  in  General  Granger's 
corps. 

Meantime  Bragg  still  threatened  the  Union  forces  in 
Chattanooga,  and  at  last  sent  a  message  that  he  was 
about  to  bombard  the  city.  General  Grant,  who  had 
been  watching  all  his  manoeuvres  as  keenly  as  a  tiger 
watches  its  prey,  ascertained  that  he  had  sent  Long- 
sti-eet  with  20,000  men  to  reconquer  East  Tennessee, 
and  at  once  sprang  upon  him  ; — sending  Hooker's  force 
to  drive  him  from  Lookout  mountain,  throwing  forward 
Thomas's  army  to  seize  Orchard  knob  and  the  forts  in 
front  of  Chattanooga,  moving  Sherman  across  the  Ten- 
nessee to  carry  his  position  at  the  termination  of 
Mission  ridge,  and  assault  persistently  and  determinedly 
the  strong  fort  and  rifle-pits  on  Tunnel  hill  (a  cavalry 
expedition  meantime  cutting  the  East  Tennessee  rail- 
road), and,  when  Sherman  had  drawn  by  his  repeated  as- 
saults the  greater  part  of  Bragg's  forces  to  Fort  Buck- 
ner,  hurling  Gordon  Granger's  corps  upon  Fort  Bragg, 
the  strongest  and  most  formidable  of  the  defences  of 
Mission  ridge.  Each  body  of  troops  did  its  work  splen- 
didly ;  but  of  all  the  movements  in  this  grand  combina- 
tion, that  of  Granger's  corps  against  Mission  ridge  was 
the  most  brilliant  and  heart-stirring.  Between  three  and 
fcwr  o'clock  P.  M.,  at  the  signal,  the  firing  of  six  guns, 


200  OUR   GKEAT  CAPTAINS. 

that  magnificent  corps,  almost  wholly  composed  of  vet- 
erans, sprang  at  once  to  arms,  and  in  five  minutes  were, 
on  their  way  across  the  plain  swept  by  the  fire  of  fifty 
cannon  and  five  thousand  muskets, — not  a  man  flinching, 
not  a  straggler  falling  back  from  the  firm  lines  that 
moved  with  the  precision  of  machinery  towards  the 
rndfcntain.  With  a  shout  they  enter  and  clear  the  first 
rifle-pits,  flinging  the  captured  rebels  back  into  the 
storm  of  iron  and  leaden  hail  through  which  they  have 
just  passed.  With  another  shout  they  commence  the  as- 
cent of  the  mountain,  a  difficult  taslf  even  without  oppo- 
sition,— tenfold  more  difficult  now,  when  the  air  is  filled 
with  missiles  which  rain  pitilessly  upon  them :  up,  up  to  the 
second  rifle-pits,  which  they  clear  with  a  bound,  tum- 
bling their  occupants  down  the  steep  mountain-side;  and 
up,  up  again,  though  the  ascent  is  almost  perpendicular, 
till  almost  breathless  they  reach  the  summit,  and  bound- 
ing upon  it,  realize  from  the  swift  reti'eat  of  the  foe  that 
the  field  is  Avon. 

In  this  grand  assault.  General  Sheridan  and  his  divis- 
ion were  nobly  conspicuous.  He  had  felt  keenly  the 
breaking  of  his  division  at  Chickamauga,  though  it  was 
so  nobly  atoned  for  in  their  subsequent  support  of  General 
Thomas,  and  riding  in  the  advance,  he  called  in  thunder 
tones  to  his  division,  "  Show  the  Fourth  corps  that  the 
men  of  the  old  Twentieth  are  still  alive  and  can  fight. 
Remember  Chickamauga."  Ever  in  the  front,  and 
always  coolest  in  the  moment  of  the  greatest  peril,  he  took 
a  flask  from  one  of  his  aids,  filled  the  pewter  cup,  and 
raising  his  cap  to  the  rebel  battery,  drank  it  off  with  a 
"how  are  you  ?"  never  checking  for  a  moment  the  speed 
of  his  advance.  The  rebels  most  ungenerously  respond- 
ed by  firing  the  six  guns  of  one  of  their  batteries  at  the 
daring  rider,  and  showering  him  with  earth,  but  doing 


GENERAL   SHERIDAN.  201 

no  other  damage.  Cheering  his  men  forward  to  the 
charge,  he  now  put  spurs  to  his  noble  steed,  and  ere 
many  minutes  passed  was  on  the  summit,  dashing  after 
the  rebels.  For  a  few  minutes  there  was  sharp  fighting, 
$nd  General  Sheridan's  horse  was  killed  under  him,  and 
he  leaped  at  once  upon  a  rebel  cannon ;  but  as  he  could 
not  keep  up  with  his  men  on  this,  he  soon  found  another 
horse,  and  pushed  on  down  the  eastern  slope  of  Mission 
ridge,  after  the  now  fast-flying  enemy,  pushing  them  as 
far  as  Mission  mills,  where,  the  next  day,  other  troops 
took  up  the  pursuit.  Two  days  later,  he. was  on  his  way 
with  his  division,  under  General  Sherman's  command,  to 
raise  the  siege  of  Knoxville,  and  this  accomplished,  re- 
turned to  Chattanooga.  In  February,  he  was  again  sent 
into  East  Tennessee,  in  command  of  two  divisions  of 
troops,  to  drive  the  rebels  out  of  East  Tennessee,  which 
he  accomplished,  though  not  without  great  exposure  and 
suffering. 

In  March,  1864,  General  Grant  having  been  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-general,  and  appointed  to  the 
command  of  all  the  armies  of  the  United  States,  sum- 
moned the  principal  generals  in  the  "Western  departments 
to  a  special  conference  at  Nashville.  General  Sheridan, 
among  others,  was  present  at  this  conference,  and  at  its 
conclusion  was  ordered  to  report  at  Washington.  At 
the  beginning  of  April  he  was  appointed  to  the  command 
of  the  cavalry  corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  reliev- 
ing General  Pleasonton,  who  was  ordered  to  report  to 
General  Rosecrans  for  duty  in  Missouri. 

His  corps  thoroughly  organized,  and  each  of  its  three 
divisions  placed  under  the  command  of  daring  and  capa- 
ble generals,  General  Sheridan  reported  himself  ready 
for  dftty ;  and  when  the  first  movement  commenced  on 
the  4th  of  May,  1864,  the  cavalry  corps  was  actively  en- 


202  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

gaged  in  protecting  the  flanks  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac, and  reconnoitring  the  position  and  movements  of 
the  enemy.  In  the  performance  of  this  duty  they  en- 
countered the  rebel  force  in  considerable  numbers  ;  and 
actions  of  some  importance  occurred  at  Craig's  church, . 
at  Parker's  store,  and  at  Todd's  tavern.  The  cavalry 
were  also  held  responsible  for  the  safety  of  the  army 
trains  and  the  ambulances  containing  the  sick  and 
wounded,  for  the  first  four  or  five  days  of  the  campaign. 
On  the  9th  of  May  they  were  relieved  from  this  duty ; 
and  General  Meade  directed  him  to  select  the  best 
mounted  troops  of  his  command  and  start  off  on  an  ex- 
pedition to  the  rear  of  Lee's  army,  and  cut  off  his  com- 
munications and  supplies,  allowing  him  full  disci'etion  as 
to  the  best  plan  of  effecting  the  object  of  the  expedition. 
General  Sheridan  at  once  made  preparation  for  this  im- 
portant movement,  selecting  the  staff-officers  who  were 
to  accompany  him,  ordering  the  issuing  of  three  days' 
rations  to  his  men,  and  leaving  behind  every  thing  in 
the  way  of  a  train  except  the  ammunition-wagons  and 
two  ambulances.  The  baggage  actually  indispensable 
was  carried  on  pack-mules.  Thus  freed  from  incum- 
brances,  he  moved,  on  the  same  day  on  which  General 
Meade's  order  was  given,  towards  Fredericksburg  ;  but 
before  reaching  that  city  turned  off  towards  Childsburg, 
and  after  a  short  rest  moved  thence  to  Beaver  Dam  sta- 
tion, on  the  Virginia  Central  road,  crossing  the  North 
Anna  river  at  the  fo/ds.  At  Beaver  dam  they  found  a 
rebel  provost-guard,  with  more  than  three  hundred 
Union  prisoners,  who  had  been  captured  the  day  before 
at  Spottsylvania ;  these  they  promptly  released,  taking 
the  rebel  guard  prisoners.  Thence  moving  towards 
Richmond,  a  detachment  was  sent  to  Ashland  station, 
on  the  Fredericksburg  road,  where  they  destroyed  rail 


GENEHAL   SHEMDAN.  203 

road-traclc,  trains,  station-houses,  and  other  rebel  gov- 
ernment property,  and  then  after  a  sharp  fight  rejoined 
the  main  column.  On  the  llth  of  May,  Sheridan's  com- 
mand had  reached  a  point  within  six  miles  of  Richmond. 
Here  they  encountered  the  rebel  cavalry  under  the  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant-General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  in  person  ; 
and  a  seveYe  battle  took  place,  in  which  General  Stuart 
was  killed,  and  some  rebel  guns  captured.  The  next 
morning,  before  daybreak,  a  detachment  was  sent  tow- 
ards Richmond  to  reconnoitre,  and  penetrated  to  the 
second  line  of  the  defences  of  that  city,  within  less  than 
two  miles  of  the  capital,  and  having  captured  a  rebel 
courier,  withdrew.  Early  in  the  morning  of  May  12, 
Sheridan's  advance  approached  Meadow  bridge  on  the 
Chickahominy,  where  they  again  encountered  the  enemy, 
who  had  destroyed  the  bridge  and  constructed  defences 
commanding  the  railroad  bridge,  over  which  the  Union 
troops  must  cross.  Nothing  daunted,  Sheridan's  gallant 
troopers  dashed  across ;  and  though  compelled  to  traverse 
about  half  a  mile  of  swampy  ground,  rushed  on  the  rebel 
works,  and  carried  them  after  a  most  determined  resist- 
ance. 

Meantime,  another  rebel  force  frad  come  up  in  his  rear 
and  siirrounded  his  command.  Cool  and  calm  as  the 
Union  commander  habitually  was  in  the  most  trying  cir- 
cumstances, here  was  a  position  to  task  his  finest  ener- 
gies in  generalship.  To  attempt  to  retreat  would  inevit- 
ably be  fatal ;  to  go  forward  was  to  encounter  a  rebel 
force  greatly  outnumbering  his  own,  and  to  cross  a  dif- 
ficult river  (the  Chickahominy)  under  their  concentrated 
fire.  His  decision  was  quickly  made.  It  was,  to  recon- 
struct the  Meadow  bridge  over  the  Chickahominy,  and 
cross  it  with  his  force  and  train.  This  he  accomplished, 
though  under  fire  all  the  time,  keeping  the  rebels  at  bay 


204:  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

with  his  artillery  the  while,  and  repelling  their  charges 
by  fierce  counter-charges.  Once  or  twice  his  men  were 
slowly  pressed  back,  but  he  encouraged  them,  and,  fight- 
ing under  his  eye,  they  soon  regained  their  position.  At 
length  the  bridge  was  completed,  and  his  ammunition 
train  was  to  be  taken  across  it ;  and,  if  the  rebel  fire  con- 
tinued, it  could  scarcely  escape  destruction  from  explo- 
sion, a  destruction  which  would  imperil  his  force  and 
render  their  capture  or  death  inevitable.  But  not  for  a 
single  moment  did  his  self-possession  forsake  him.  When 
the  train  was  ready  for  advancing,  he  ordered  up  an  am- 
munition-wagon, supplied  his  'men  who  had  fallen  back 
with  fresh  cartridges,  and,  placing  himself  at  their  head, 
said  :  "  Boys,  you  see  those  fellows  yonder  ?  They  are 
green  recruits  just  from  Richmond.  There's  not  a  veteran 
among  them.  You  have  fought  them  well  to-day,  but 
we  have  got  to  whip  them.  We  can  do  it,  and  we 
will !"  The  men  responded  with  a  rousing  cheer,  and 
with  the  order,  u  Forward! — Charge!"  in  his  clear 
ringing  tones,  he  led  them  on  in  a  charge  which  sent 
the  rebels  flying  back  to  their  works ;  and  his  artillery 
opened  upon  them,  adding  greatly  to  their  terror. 
Under  cover  of  this. charge  the  train  crossed  in  per- 
fect safety.  Pressing  hard  upon  the  now  beaten  and 
demoralized  foe,  amid  a  most  terrific  thunder-storm, 
in  which  it  was  difficult  to  distinguish  between  the 
artillery  of  heaven  and  the  thunder  of  his  guns,  he 
drove  them  back  to  Mechanicsville,  and  finally  to  Cold 
Harbor,  capturing  a  considerable  number,  and  encamped 
with  his  wearied  command  near  Gaines'  Mills,  The  next 
day  he  moved  on  to  Bottom's  bridge,  and  the  day  fol- 
lowing to  General  Butler's  headquarters,  not  being  mo- 
lested in  any  of  his  movements.  He  then  opened  com- 
munication with  Yorktown,  and  thence  with  Washing- 


GENERAL   SHEKIDAN.  205 

ton.  Other  expeditions  may  have  resulted  in  a  larger 
destruction  of  property,  the  capture  of  more  prisoners, 
or  the  traversing  a  larger  region  of  territory,  but  none 
during  the  war  has  carried  greater  terror  into  the  hearts 
of  the  enemy,  or  more  gallantly  extricated  itself  from  a 
position  of  extraordinary  difficulty. 

The  next  few  days  were  spent  in  co-operation  with  the 
great  army,  now  on  its  way  towards  the  Chickahominy. 
General  Sheridan's  headquarters  were  at  the  White 
House,  on  the  Pamunkey ;  but  he  was  for  the  most  part 
at  the  front,  directing  the  movements  of  the  cavalry  pro- 
tecting both  wings  of  Gi'ant's  army,  and  several  times 
engaged  in  sharp  conflicts  with  the  rebel  cavalry,  now 
under  the  command  of  Fitzhugh  Lee.  On  the  31st  of 
May  he  took  possession  of  Cold  Harbor,  his  troops  hav- 
ing orders  to  hold  it  until  relieved  by  the  infantry.  This 
was  done,  though  with  considerable  loss,  for  more  than 
twenty-four  hours,  when  the  infantry  force  came  up ;  and 
General  Sheridan  then  moved  forward  and  guarded  the 
flank  of  Grant's  army  in  its  movement  to  and  across  the 
James.  This  accomplished,  he  set  out  on  the  8th  of 
June  for  a  second  cavalry  expedition  into  the  heart  of 
the  rebel  country.  This  time  his  .object  was  to  penetrate 
northward  and  westward  of  Lee's  lines,  and  cut  the  Vir- 
ginia Central  railroad  at  some  point  which  should  effect- 
ually prevent  the  movement  of  supplies  or  troops  from 
the  Virginia  and  Tennessee  railroad  towards  Richmond. 
Gordonsville  and  Charlottesville  were  the  objective 
points  at  which  he  aimed ;  and  had  his  movements  been 
properly  sustained  by  those  of  General  Hunter,  he  would 
have  succeeded  to  the  utmost  of  his  hopes.  As  it  was, 
however,  'he  accomplished  very  much  in  the  way  of  em- 
barrassing the  enemy.  Crossing  the  Pamunkey,  he 
moved  at  once  to  Aylett's  station ;  thence  the  next  day 
18 


206  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

to  the  Fredericksburg  railroad  at  Chesterfield  station, 
where  he  seriously  damaged  the  railroad ;  thence  to 
Childsburg,  Newmarket,  and  Mount  Pleasant,  and 
crossed  E.  N.  E.  creek  at  Young's  bridge.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  10th  of  June  he  moved  forward  again ;  and  hav- 
ing crossed  both  branches  of  the  North  Anna  river,  en- 
camped at  Buck  Childs,  a  small  village  three  miles  north 
of  Trevilian  station,  on  th^e  Virginia  Central  railroad.  It 
had  been  his  intention  to  destroy  the  railroad  from  this 
point  west  for  some  distance,  and  then,  marching  through 
Everittsville,  to  cut  the  railroad  extensively  between 
Gordonsville  and  Charlottesville,  and  march  at  once 
upon  Charlottesville.  On  arriving  at  Buck  Childs,  how- 
ever, he  found  the  rebel  cavalry  in  his  front,  and  imme- 
diately prepared  to  give  them  battle.  Recalling  his  old 
tactics  at  the  West,  he  sent  a  part  of  his  force  to  attack 
the  rebels  in  rear,  while  he  assailed  them  in  the  early 
morning  of  June,  llth  in  front.  The  fighting  was  des- 
perate, but  he  at  last  drove  them  back  from  line  after 
line  of  breastworks,  through  an  almost  impassable  forest, 
to  the  station  at  Trevilian ;  and  here  his  detached  troops 
attacking  them  in  rear,  their  route  was  complete,  and 
Sheridan  established  his  headquarters  that  night  at  Tre- 
vilian. 

The  next  morning,  the  railroad  from  Trevilian  station 
to  Louisa  Court-House  was  completely  destroyed,  the  ties 
burned,  and  the  rails  twisted  and  bent  so  as  to  be  ut- 
terly unserviceable.  This  occupied  from  daybreak  to  3 
p.  M.,  of  the  12th  of  June.  The  rebels,  meantime,  had 
concentrated  in  considerable  force  at  Gordonsville,  and 
advancing  towards  Trevilian,  commenced  the  construc- 
tion of  rifle-pits  at  a  distance  of  about  four  miles,  to  re- 
sist the  movements  of  Sheridan.  After  a  careful  recon- 
noissance,  General  Sheridan  found  the  enemy  too  strongly 


GENERAL    SHEEIDAN.  207 

posted  to  be  effectively  assailed  Ijy  his  light  artillery,  es- 
pecially as  his  ammunition  was  getting  low,  and  there- 
fore declined  a  general  assault.  On  the  extreme  right, 
however,  the  Union  troops  assaulted  and  carried  the  en- 
emy's lines  again  and  again,  but  were  eventually  driven 
from  them  by  the  long-range  guns  of  the  rebel  infantry  ; 
and  finding  his  ammunition  giving  out,  and  being  unable 
to  obtain  forage  for  his  horses,  General  Sheridan  deter- 
mined to  withdraw  ;  but  he  carried  out  this  determina- 
tion in  a  characteristic  way.  Returning  to  Trevilian 
station,  he  ordered  supper,  inviting  his  generals  to  sup 
with  him ;  and  having  given  orders  for  the  removal  of  the 
wounded  who  could  be  moved,  and  detailed  surgeons  to 
stay  with  those  who  were  most  severely  injured,  and 
perfected  'his  order  of  march,  he  partook  quietly  of  his 
tea,  and  then  set  about  the  withdrawal  of  his  force  from 
a  position  in  which  nearly  the  entire  cavalry  of  the  rebel 
army  confronted  it.  While  the  train  and  the  rear  di- 
visions were  moving  off  with  the  wounded,  he  ordered 
forty  rounds  of  canister  to  be  fired  at  the  rebel  position ; 
and  when  the  enemy,  sorely  cut  up  by  this  fire,  attempted 
to  take  the  battery  by  a  bold,  sudden  dash,  he  charged 
upon  them  with  a  regiment  of  cavalry,  at  the  same  time 
pouring  in  a  full  round  of  canister  at  very  short  range, 
and  hurled  them  back,  while  the  gun  was  withdrawn, 
and  then,  when  they  were  retreating,  moved  quietly 
back ;  and  all  his  men  being,  by  day-dawn,  well  out  of 
Trevilian  station,  he  mai'ched  the  next  day  fifteen  miles, 
to  Troyman's  store,  without  the  slightest  opposition,  and 
the  day  following  (June  14th)  reached  the  vicinity  of 
Spottsylvania  Court-house,  which  a  month  before  had 
been  the  scene  of  such  bloody  and  terrible  battles.  Here 
he  remained  a  day,  and  on  Wednesday  evening  reached 
Guiney's  station,  on  the  Fredericksburg  and  Richmond 


208  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

• 

railroad,  where  he  established  his  headquarters  for  the 
time,  but  soon  moved  to  White  House,  and  thence 
marched  to  the  James,  to  join  General  Grant.  While 
moving  towards  the  James,  they  were  attacked  by  the 
enemy  on  the  23d  of  June,  at  Jones's  bridge,  over  the 
Chickahorniny,  and  on  the  24th,  near  St.  Mary's  church, 
the  rebels  being  on  both  occasions  in  strong  force,  and 
fully  confident  of  their  ability  to  overwhelm  him.  Sher 
idan  acted  entirely  on  the  defensive,  but  produced  such 
terrible  havoc  among  the  enemy  with  his  artillery,  fight- 
ing at  short  range,  that  they  were  in  the  end  very  will- 
ing to  withdraw.  During  the  afternoon  and  night  of 
June  25th,  General  Sheridan  crossed  the  James  river, 
five  miles  above  Fort  Powhatan,  on  a  pontoon  bridge, 
protected  on  either  side  by  gunboats,  without  loss,  the 
enemy  being  kept  at  bay  by  the  gunboats. 

During  the  next  thirty  days,  his  cavalry  were  engaged 
in  cutting  the  railroads  to  the  south  and  southwest  of 
Petersburg;  and  on  the  27th  of  July,  crossed  the  James 
at  Deep  Bottom,  and  on  the  28th,  fought  a  severe  battle 
with  the  rebels  near  Malvern  Hill,  holding  their  position 
for  some  hours  against  a  greatly  superior  force. 

Meantime  the  third  rebel  invasion  of  Maryland  and 
Pennsylvania,  via  the  Shenandoah  valley,  was  in  prog- 
ress, and  the  national  capital  was  more  seriously  threat- 
ened than  ever  before ;  and  Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania, 
Hagerstown  and  Frederick,  Maryland,  were  occupied  by 
the  rebel  General  Ewell,  and  Baltimore  endangered. 
This  movement  was  intended  to  call  off  General  Grant 
from  the  siege  of  Richmond,  where  the  pressure  of  his 
grip  was  becoming  unendurable  ;  but  he  was  not  to  be 
thus  lured  from  his  prey ;  he  could  and  did  spare  one 
corps,  the  Sixth,  to  the  defence  of  Washington ;  but  the 
other  forces  for  the  defence  of  that  region  must  be  dra\vn 


GENERAL    SHERIDAN.  209 

from  other  sources.  The  Nineteenth  corps,  from  the 
Department  of  the  Gulf,  was  on  its  way  thither,  and  the 
very  considerable  force  in  Western  Virginia,  Eastern  and 
Western  Pennsylvania,  and  Maryland,  though  partly 
composed  of  militia,  Avas,  if  rightly  handled,  amply  suffi- 
cient to  hold  the  territory  around  Washington,  and 
drive  back  the  invader  to  Southern  Virginia.  It  was, 
however,  the  misfortune  of  these  troops  to  be  included 
in  four  distinct  military  departments,  the  commanders  of 
which,  jealous  of  their  respective  prerogatives,  did  not 
co-operate  harmoniously  with  each  other.  Washington 
and  Baltimore,  and  the  country  adjacent,  formed  the 
Department  of  Washington  ;  Eastern  and  Central  Penn- 
sylvania and  Northern  Maryland,  the  Department  of 
the  Susquehanna ;  Northwestern  Virginia  and  Western 
Pennsylvania,  the  Department  of  West  Virginia ;  and 
the  region  of  the  Slienandoah,  and  eastward  to  the  Bull 
Run  mountains,  the  Middle  Department.  It  was  one  of 
those  inspirations  which  have  stamped  General  Grant  as 
one  of  the  ablest  military  minds  of  the  century,  which 
led  him  to  propose  the  combination  of  these  four  depart- 
ments into  one  grand  military  division,  to  be*  called  the 
Middle  Military  Division,  and  subsequently  the  Military 
Division  of  the  Shenandoah.  In  the  extent  of  its  terri- 
tory, this  division  was  hardly  inferior  to  any  of  the  others, 
and  in  the  difficulty  of  its  management,  it  yielded  the 
palm  to  none.  For  its  command,  which  required  mili- 
tary genius  of  a  very  high  order,  General  Grant,  with 
his  usual  sagacity,  selected  General  Philip  H.  Sheridan. 
Though  the  junior  in  years  of  every  major-general  in  the 
division,  he  had  already  exhibited  a  skill  and  tact  in 
handling  tfoops,  a  combination  of  caution  and  audacity, 
a  celerity  of  movement,  and  a  fertility  of  resource,  which 
indicated  him  as  the  man  for  the  place. 
18* 


210  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAIN'S. 

On  the  7th  of  August  he  received  his  command,  and 
on  the  same  day  established  his  headquarters  at  Har- 
per's Ferry.  Concentrating  his  troops  at  once  along  the 
Potomac,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Shenandoah 
Valley,  whither  General  Early,  now  in  command  of  the 
rebel  forces,  had  withdrawn  with  his  troops  and  plunder, 
General  Sheridan  gradually  pressed  the  rebels  back  from 
the  important  positions  of  Martinsburg,  Williamsport, 
&c.,  garrisoning  these  as  fast  as  they  were  relinquished, 
and  establishing  complete  and  prompt  communications 
between  his  headquarters  and  the  advanced  posts.  He 
then  began  to  make  feints  of  an  advance,  in  order  to  test 
the  enemy's  strength  and  position.  Early,  who  prided 
himself  on  his  astuteness,  fell  back  gradually,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  luring  Sheridan  on;  but  Sheridan  would  not  move 
till  he  was  ready,  and  understood  too  fully  Early's  plots, 
and  the  objects  to  be  accomplished,  to  make  any  prema- 
ture movements.  As  Early  retired,  however,  he  grad- 
ually occupied  every  important  position,  seizing  and  se- 
curing Winchester  on  the  12th  of  August,  and  throwing 

O  O  t  O 

out  a  cavalry  detachment  to  Front  Royal,  where  they 
encountered  and  defeated,  after  a  sharp  struggle,  the 
rebel  cavalry.  This  accomplished,  he  fell  back  in  turn, 
abandoning  Winchester,  and  awaiting  at  Harper's  Ferry 
and  its  vicinity  the  concentration  of  his  forces.  As  he 
expected,  this  brought  the  rebel  troops  northward  again, 
and  several  sharp  skirmishes  took  place,  Sheridan's  cav- 
alry, under  General  Torbert,  meantime  reconnoitring 
thoroughly  the  enemy's  position,  and  taking  note  of  all 
his  movements.  Finding  that  there  was  some  danger  of 
their  moving  southward  to  join  General  Lee,  a  move- 
ment which  was  to  be  prevented  at  all  hazards,  Gen- 
eral Sheridan  again  advanced,  as  if  to  give  them  battle, 
and  thus  arrested  their  progress,  and  then  again  with- 


GENERAL   SHEEIDAN.  211 

drew  towards  Charlestown  to  attract  them  nearer  to  the 
Potomac.  General  Early  thought  Sheridan  was  afraid, 
and  that  by  good  management  he  might  flank  him,  and 
entering  Maryland  again,  reap  another  harvest  of 
plunder.  Accordingly,  he  moved  east  to  Berryville, 
and  issued  a  long  general  order  to  his  troops,  forbid- 
ding straggling  and  depredations  upon  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 

General  Early  had  entirely  misconceived  the  character 
and  abilities  of  his  opponent,  as  he  soon  found  to  his 
cost.  His  movement  to  Berryville  was  made  on  the  16th 
of  September,  and  it  found  Sheridan  fully  prepared  to 
act.  General  Grant,  by  his  heavy  blows  upon  Lee's 
forces  at  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  was  effectually  pre- 
venting that  general  from  sending  any  aid  to  Early,  and 
Sheridan's  force  was  sufficient  to  handle  his  opponent 
very  roughly.  On  the  18th  of  September  hfs,  cavalry 
met  and  defeated  the  rebels  at  Darksville,  on  Ope- 
quan  creek,  north  of  Winchester,  while  his  infantry  had 
driven  the  main  rebel  force  from  Perry ville  towards 
Winchester,  where  they  had  been  joined  by  the  rebel 
cavalry,  retreating  from  Darksville. 

Sheridan  had  now  his  antagonist  in  the  very  position 
which  he  desired.  He  had  crowded  him  west  of 
Opequan  creek,  and  by  the  location  of  his  own  army  was 
between  him  and  his  true  line  of  retreat  towards  Rich- 
mond, southeast  through  the  gaps  in  the  Blue  ridge. 
If  now,  by  quick  and  heavy  blows,  he  could  rout  and 
drive  him  southwestward,  he  would  effectually  cripple 
him,  for  the  time  at  least.  The  battle  began  at  day- 
light on  Monday  morning,  September  19th,  by  the  at- 
tack of  Wilson's  cavalry  on  the  rebels  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  Opequan.  By  some  misunderstanding  the  infantry 
were  not  brought  into  the  action  till  near  noon,  and 


212  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

though  the  resistance  of  the  rebels  was  stubborn  and 
continued  until  5  p.  M.,  they  Avere  finally  completely 
routed,  driven  through,  or,  as  General  Sheridan  very 
forcibly  expressed  it  in  his  dispatch,  "  sent  whirling 
through  Winchester,"  and  pursued  relentlessly  till  they 
-reached  their  defences  at  Fisher's  Hill,  thirty  miles  be- 
low Winchester,  where  they  succeeded  in  rallying  for 
another  stand.  In  this  disastrous  battle  and  retreat 
three  of  their  ablest  generals  were  killed  and  four  more 
severely  wounded.  Among  the  latter  was  Fitzhugh 
Lee,  the  commander  of  the  rebel  cavalry  of  the  Army  of 
Virginia.  They  lost,  also,  between  3,000  and  4,000  in 
killed  and  wounded,  nearly  5,000  prisoners,  fifteen  battle 
flags,  and  five  pieces  of  artillery. 

With  the  celerity  which  has  always  marked  his  move- 
menrts,  Sheridan  now  brought  up  his  entire  force  to  as- 
sault the  strong  position  of  the  rebels  on  Fisher's  Hill. 
The  works  were  too  formidable  to  be  carried  by  an  at- 
tack in  front  alone,  and  therefore,  while  keeping  up  a 
feint  of  a  front  attack,  the  Eighth  corps  (General 
Crooks')  was  sent  far  to  the  right,  and  sweeping  about 
the  enemy's  left,  flanked  him,  attacked  him  in  rear,  in  a 
gallant  charge,  driving  him  out  of  his  intrenchments ; 
while  the  Sixth  corps  attacked  at  the  same  time  in  the 
centre,  front,  and  the  Nineteenth  (Emory's)  on  the  left ; 
Averill  with  his  cavalry  ranging  the  while  along  the  base  of 
South  Mountain.  Confused  and  disorganized  by  attacks 
at  so  many  difierent  points,  the  enemy  broke  at  the  cen- 
tre, and  the  Sixth  corps  separating  his  two  wings,  he  fled 
in  complete  disorganization  towards  Woodstock.  Artil- 
lery, horses,  wagons,  rifles,  knapsacks,  and  canteens  were 
abandoned  and  strewn  along  the  road.  Eleven  hundred 
prisoners  and  sixteen  pieces  of  artillery  were  captured  ; 
the  pursuit  was  continued  until  the  25th,  and  did  not 


GKNIiKAL    SHERIDAN.  213 

conclude  till  the  enemy  had  been  driven  below  Port 
Republic,  and  many  of  them  had  scattered  in  the  moun- 
tains, sick  of  the  conflict  and  determined  to  abandon  ft. 
The  loss  of  the  enemy  from  the  19th  to  the  25th  of 
September,  in  killed,  wounded,  prisoners,  and  missing, 
was  not  less  than  10,000. 

This  victory  occasioned  great  rejoicing  throughout  the 
North.  Salutes  were  fired  on  the  26th  of  September  at 
all  military  posts  in  the  United  States ;  and  the  brave 
and  skilful  commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Shenandoah 
was  appointed  by  the  President  a  brigadier-general  in 
the  regular  army,  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasione4  by  the 
death  of  the  lamented  McPherson. 

While  General  Sheridan  made  his  headquarters  at 
Port  Republic,  he  sent  his  cavalry  under  General  Torbert 
forward  to  Staunton  ;  which  place  they  captured,  and  de- 
stroyed all  the  storehouses,  machine-shops,  and  other 
buildings,  owned  or  occupied  by  the  rebel  government, 
and  also  the  saddles,  small-arms,  hard  bread,  and  other 
military  stores  found  in  the  place.  They  then  proceeded 
to  Waynesboro,  also  on  the  Virginia  Central  railroad ; 
tore  up  seven  miles  of  the  railroad  track,  destroyed  the 
depot,  the  iron  bridge  over  the  Shenandoah,  a  govern- 
ment tannery,  and  other  stores.  General  Sheridan  also 
improved  the  time  of  holding  possession  of  the  Shenan- 
doah valley  to  destroy  all  the  grain,  hay,  and  forage  to 
be  found  there,  excepting  what  Avas  necessary  for  the 
subsistence  of  his  own  army ;  and  thus  effectually  crippled 
both  Eaiiy's  army  and  Lee's,  both  of  which  had  depended 
upon  this  fertile  valley  as  the  gi'anary  from  which  to 
draw  most  of  their  supplies  of  grain  and  forage.  The 
whole  valley  being  thus  rendered  untenable  by  the  rebel 
army,  and  the  guerilla  movements,  which  had  been  en- 
couraged by  the  inhabitants,  who  had  harbored  them, 


214:  OUK   GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

sternly  repressed,  General  Sheridan  moved  leisurely 
northward,  and  on  the  6th  of  October  made  his  head- 
quarters at  Woodstock.  South  of  this  point,  over  two 
thousand  barns  filled  with  wheat  and  hay,  and  over 
seventy  mills  stocked  with  wheat  and  flour,  had  been 
destroyed ;  and  a  vast  herd  of  stock,  and  more  than 
three  thousand  sheep,  had  been  reserved  for  the  supply 
of  the  army.  The  Luray  valley,  as  well  as  the  Little 
Fort  valley,  were  subjected  to  the  same  devastation, — the 
inhabitants  of  both,  like  those  of  the  Shenandoah,  having, 
while  professedly  loyal,  engaged  in  guerilla  operations 
and  the  murder  of  Union  soldiers. 

On  the  8th  of  October,  the  rebel  General  Rosser,  a 
cavalry  officer  of  considerable  ability,  who  had  just  been 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  major-general,  thinking  that  he 
had  found  an  opportunity  to  achieve  a  reputation,  began 
to  harass  Sheridan's  rear.  He  did,  indeed,  gain  a  reputa- 
tion by  this  movement,  but  it  was  not  an  enviable  one  ; 
for  Sheridan,  facing  about,  offered  battle,  and  finding 
him  reluctant  to  accept  it,  ordered  his  cavalry  to  attack 
by  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  9th,  one  division 
charging  along  the  Strasburg  pike,  while  another,  mov- 
ing by  a  back  road,  took  the  enemy  in  flank.  The 
rebels,  after  a  short  resistance,  were  severely  beaten,  and 
eleven  pieces  of  artillery,  several  caissons,  a  battery  forge, 
forty-seven  wagons,  and  over  three  hundred  prisoners, 
captured  by  the  Union  troops.  The  rebel  cavalry  fled  in 
great  terror  on  being  charged  by  Sheridan's  cavalry, 
and  were  pursued  "  on  the  jump"  for  twenty-six  miles, 
the  pursuit  being  continued  beyond  Mount  Jackson,  and 
across  the  south  fork  of  the  Shenandoah. 

General  Early  was  not  yet  fully  satis6ed  with  the 
punishment  he  had  received,  and  on  the  12th  of  October, 
having  crept  up  quietly  under  cover  of  the  forest  on 


GENEKAL   SHEKIDAN.  215 

Little  Korth  mountain,  he  appeared  in  force  on  the 
wooded  slope  south  of  Cedar  creek,  and  commenced  a 
heavy  and  rapid  artillery  fire  on  Sheridan's  lines.  He 
had  not,  however,  approached  so  stealthily  that  General 
Sheridan  was  unaware  of  his  movements,  and  with  a 
promptness  which  showed  that  he  was  not  surprised,  he 
returned  the  artillery  fire,  shot  for  shot,  and  then  order- 
ing forward  his  troops,  sprang  upon  the  foe,  and  after  a 
sharp  action  of  three  hours,  terminating  in  a  cavalry 
charge,  drove  Early  once  more  in  confusion  up  the 
valley. 

Having  thus  disposed  of  General  Early,  General  Sheri- 
dan made  a  flying  visit  of  inspection  to  his  various-  out- 
posts, and  employed  a  part  of  his  cavalry  meantime  in 
making  a  thorough  devastation  of  Luray  valley  from 
Front  Royal  to  Sperryville,  the  inhabitants  of  that  valley 
having  harbored  and  aided  the  guerrillas  and  bush- 
whackers, who  were  murdering  the  operatives  along  the 
Mauassas  Gap  railroad,  which  General  Sheridan  was  put- 
ting in  repair.  In  this  expedition  sixty-five  hundred  head 
of  cattle  and  five  hundred  horses  were  captured,  and 
thirty-two  large  flouring-mills,  thirty  distilleries,  four 
blast-furnaces,  and  over  fifty  barns  were  destroyed.  By 
holding  Front  Royal,  General  Sheridan  was  enabled  to 
open  communication,  by  way  of  the  Manassas  Gap  rail- 
road, with  Washington,  and  thus  transport  his  supplies 
and  troops  more  expeditiously  than  he  could  do  by  way 
of  Harper's  Ferry.  This  railroad  was  opened  on  the  15th 
of  October,  and  General  Sheridan  passed  over  it  to  Wash- 
ington. 

It  was  while  he  was  thus  absent,  that  Early  planned 
another  attack  upon  the  Union  army,  which  was  well- 
nigh  successful,  and  which,  in  all  respects,  proved  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  battles  of  the  war. 


216  OUK   GKEAT    CAPTAINS. 

After  the  battle  of  the  12th,  General  Early  had  fallen 
back  to  his  stronghold  on  Fisher's  Hill,  where  the  dense 
forest  screened  his  movements  from  the  view  of  the 
Union  troops;  and  here,  on  the  18th  of  October,  he  had 
been  reinforced  by  about  twelve  thousand  fresh  troops, 
half,  or  more  than  half  of  them  without  arms,  bat  organ- 
ized and  officered,  and  ready  for  battle  so  soon  as  they 
should  be  able  to  obtain  arms  from  prisoners  or  the  slain 
upon  the  battle-field.  This  accession  made  his  force 
twenty-seven  thousand.  He  had  learned  of  Sheridan's 
visit  to  Washington,  and  believed  that  the  Sixth  army 
corps  had  gone  also,  and  that,  with  Sheridan,  it  was  on 
its  way  to  join  Grant's  army.  With  this  impression, 
he  regarded  the  occasion  as  an  auspicious  one  to 
make  one  more  attack,  and  effectually  revenge  him- 
self on  the  army  which  had  thrice  defeated  him,  and 
twice  sent  his  legions  in  wild  confusion  southward,-  al- 
most to  the  sources  of  the  Shenandoah.  In  fact,  the 
Sixth  corps  was  still  with  the  Eighth  and  Nineteenth 
forming  the  Army  of  the  Shenandoah ;  and  General 
Sheridan,  whom  he  so  justly  dreaded,  was  on  his  way 
back  from  Washington  to  his  command,  and,  on  the 
night  of  the  18th,  had  reached  Winchester.  Had  Early 
known  these  facts,  it  is  very  questionable  whether  he 
would  have  attempted  the  dating  enterprise  in  which  he 
so  nearly  succeeded,  only  to  fail  most  signally. 

The  Union  position  was  an  echelon  of  three  lines, 
posted  on  three  separate  crests  of  moderate  height  in 
the  vicinity  of  Cedar  creek,  near  the  point  where  it 
crosses  the  Strasburg  and  Virginia  turnpike,  a  short  dis- 
tance northeast  of  Strasburg.  The  Army  of  Western 
Virginia  formed  the  left  wing,  and  occupied  the  most 
advanced  position  on  the  eastern  crest ;  the  Nineteenth 
corps  held  the  centre,  half  a  mile  in  rear  of  this  ;  while 


GENERAL   SHEKIDAN.  217 

the  Sixth  corps  occupied  the  right  crest,  which  was  also 
furthest  in  the  rear.  The  fronts  and  the  flanks,  to  some 
extent,  of  the  Army  of  Western  Virginia  and  the  Nine- 
teenth corps,  were  protected  by  breastworks  of  logs  and 
earth,  with  batteries  in  place,  and  the  right  was  guarded 
by  Torbert's  cavalry.  In  front,  the  position  was  impreg- 
nable, except  by  a  surprise,  and  to  turn  either  flank  was 
an  enterprise  so  rash  and  dangerous,  that  it  was  consid; 
ered  impossible  by  most  of  the  officers.  In  Sheridan's 
absence,  the  command  devolved  on  General  Wright,  com- 
manding the  Sixth  corps,  as  the  senior  corps  commander. 
With  a  rashness  which  could  have  only  been  inspired 
by  desperation,  since  at  every  point  of  his  progress,  ex- 
cept the  last,  discovery  would  have  been  inevitable  ruin, 
Early  resolved  to  attempt,  by  a  nocturnal  movement,  to 
turn  the  left  flank  of  the  Union  army.  To  do  this,  it 
was  necessary  to  descend  into  the  gorge  at  the  base  of 
the  Massanutten  mountain,  cross  the  north  fork  of  the 
Shenandoah,  which  was  then  fordable,  and  for  miles  to 
skirt  Crook's  position  (the  Army  of  Western  Virginia), 
passing,  at  some  points,  within  four  hundred  yards  of  his 
pickets.  Three  days  previous  a  brigade  of  Union  cav- 
alry had  held  the  road  along  which  the  rebels  now 
passed,  and  would  have  rendered  such  an  enterprise  im- 
possible, but  by  some  strange  oversight  it  had  been 
withdrawn.  But  even  without  this,  the  hazards  which 
Early  ran  might  well  have  been  sufficient  to  deter  a 
bold  man.  At  almost  any  point  of  his  march,  had  he 
been  discovered  (and  once  he  was  on  the  very  verge  of 
discovery),  his  army  would  have  been  cut  in  two  by  the 
Union  infantry,  and  the  cavalry  would  have  prevented  his 
retreat  to  Fisher's  Hill,  when  he  would  have  inevitably 
lost  half  his  force,  and  the  Union  loss  would  have  been 

trifling. 

19 


218  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

His  management  of.  his  advance  was  admirable :  his 
canteens  had  been  left  behind  in  camp,  lest  they  should 
betray  the  movement  by  their  clatter  against  the  shanks 
of  the  bayonets,  and  every  precaution  was  taken  to  move 
with  the  utmost  stillness  and  quiet.  At  dawn  they  were 
lying  formed  for  battle,  within  six  hundred  yards  of  the 
Union  camps,  enveloping  completely  Crook's  flank.  Just 
at  break  of  day,  with  the  well-known  rebel  battle-yell, 
and  a  sudden  and  terrific  rattle  of  musketry,  they  flung 
themselves  on  the  camp  of  the  Army  of  Western  Vir- 
ginia, and  within  fifteen  minutes  that  body  of  veteran 
troops,  surprised,  broken,  and  panic-stricken,  were  hurry- 
ing back,  a  mass  of  fugitives,  upon  the  centre,  where  the 
Nineteenth  corps,  forewarned,  had  sprung  into  the 
trenches,  but  found  themselves  almost  immediately  at- 
tacked in  flank  and  rear,  while  the  rebel  General  Gordon 
had  seized  a  position  which  completely  commanded  their 
camp.  Early  had  sent  his  cavalry  and  light  artillery  to 
the  right,  to  menace  the  Sixth  corps  (or,  as  he  supposed, 
the  Nineteenth) ;  and  this  corps  now  occupied  with  that 
force,  whose  strength,  at  that  early  hour,  could  not  be 
ascertained,  could  not  come  to  the  help  of  the  imperilled 
Nineteenth.  For  an  hour  and  more  of  desperate  de- 
termined fighting  that  corps  held  its'  position  ;  but  Gor- 
don's men  reaching  onward  along  and  beyond  its  flank, 
turned  it,  and  fell  upon  its  rear,  and  in  its  turn,  it  was 
compelled  to  abandon  its  position,  and  retreat  towards 
Winchester,  or  rather  towards  Middletown,  on  £he  Win- 
chester road. 

The  Sixth  corps  had  by  this  time  found  what  was  the 
force  in  its  front,  and  had  turned  them  over  to  Torbert's 
cavalry,  who  were  amply  sufficient  to  take  care  of  them, 
while  it  came  up  to  the  support  of  the  Nineteenth  corps ; 
but  it,  too,  was  flanked  in  its  turn,  and  though  it  moved 


GENERAL    SHERIDAN.  219 

slowly  and  in  good  order,  was  compelled  to  retreat  to  a 
position  where  it  could  fight  to  better  advantage.  The 
train  had  been,  by  skilful  management,  removed  out  of 
harm's  Avay,  and  was  well  on  the  road  to  Winchester,  but 
the  army  had  been  driven  off  the  pike,  and  it  Avas  neces- 
sary to  fall  back  until  it  could  again  obtain  a  position 
upon  it,  and  thus  secure  its  communications. 

Five  hours  had  passed  since  the  first  attack,  and  the 
Army  of  the  Shenandoah  was,  for  the  first  time,  de- 
feated ;  not  routed,  but  badly  beaten.  Their  camps 
were  in  the  possession  of  the  enemy,  and  their  fortified 
positions;  they  had  lost  twenty-four  guns  and  twelve 
hundred  prisoners,  and  "they,  had  retreated  full  three 
miles,  and  their  stragglers  a  dozen  or  more.  It  was 
about  ten  o'clock  when  Sheridan  came  up  the  pike 
at  full  speed,  his  noble  horse  completely  flecked  with 
foam,  swinging  his  cap  and  shouting  to  the  stragglers, 
"  Face  the  other  way,  boys.  We  are  going  back  to  our 
camps.  We  are  going  to  lick  them  out  of  their  boots." 
The  effect  was  magical.  The  wounded  by  the  roadside 
raised  their  voices  to  shout;  the  fugitives,  but  now  hur- 
rying-forward  to  Winchester,  turned  about  at  sight  of 
him  who  had  always  led  them  to  victory,  and  followed  him 
back  to  the  battle-ground  as  hounds  follow  their  master. 

Still  riding  rapidly,  he  reachfd  the  main  army,  ordefpd 
it  to  face  about,  form  line,  and  advance  to  the  position 
it  had  last  quitted.  They  obeyed  without  hesitation, 
and  for  two  hours  he  rode  along  the  lines,  studying  the 
ground  and  encouraging  the  men.  "  Boys,"  he  said,  in 
his  earnest  animated  way,  "if  I  had  been -here  this  never 
should  have  happened.  I  tell  you  it  never  should  have 
happened.  And  now  we  are  going  back  to  our  camps. 
We  are  going  to  get  a  twist  on  them — we  are  going  to 
lick  them  out  of  their  boots!"  For  two  hours  more 
v- 


220  OUR   GKEAT  CAPTAINS. 

there  was  silence,  but  rapid  preparation.  The  Sixth 
corps  held  the  turnpike  and  its  vicinity.  The  Nine- 
teenth was  formed  on  its  right,  in  double  line,  under 
cover  of  a  dense  wood.  Rude  temporary  breastworks 
were  thrown  up  in  an  incredibly  short  time,  and  the 
old  animation  and  valor  pervaded  every  heart.  The 
panic  was  over.  Then  came  a  message  from  Sheridan 
to  Emory  (commanding  the  Nineteenth  corps),  that  the 
enemy  were  advancing  against  tnem  in  column.  They 
came,  and  were  received  with  so  deadly  a  fire  of  artil- 
lery and  musketry  that  they  awaited  no  second  fire,  but 
fell  back  at  once  out  of  sight,  and  Emory  sent  word  to 
the  commanding  general,  that  the  attack  had  been  re- 
pulsed. Sheridan's  delight  at  this  was  evident.  "  That's 
good,  that's  good,"  he  said  eagerly.  He  then  sent  word 
to  Emory  that,  if  they  renewed  the  attack,  he  must  meet 
them  by  a  counter-attack,  drive  them  back,  and  follow 
them  up.  At  half-past  three,  orders  came  for  the  entire 
line  to  advance,  the  Nineteenth  corps  to  move  in  cojjnec- 
tion  with  the  Sixth,  and  the  right  of  the  Nineteenth  to 
swing  towards  the  left,  so  as  to  drive  the  enemy  upon  the 
pike.  The  enemy's  left  was  now  his  strong  position, 
being  supported  by  successive  wooded  crests,  while  his 
right  ran  out  to  the  pike,  across  undulating  open  fields, 
A\^ich  offered  no  natura^line  of  resistance.  Sheridan's 
plan  was  to  push  them  off  these  crests  by  this  swinging 
movement  of  his  right,  and  then,  as  they  were  doubled 
up  on  the  turnpike,  hurl  his  cavalry  upon  them  across  the 
Middletown  meadows.  Like  most  of  his  plans,  it  was  en- 
tirely successful ;  the  crests  were  carried  by  a  charge  of 
infantry,  and  Gordon's  division,  which  during  the  morn- 
ing had  so  perseveringly  flanked  the  Army  of  the  Shen- 
andoah,  was  itself  flanked  in  turn  by  the  Nineteenth 
corps,  and  broke  in  confusion. 


GENERAL   SHERIDAN.  221 

The  fighting  which  followed  was  desperate,  and  the 
rebels  held  their  position  with  great  tenacity  ;  while  the 
Union  soldiers,  who  had  neither  eaten  nor  drank  any 
thing  since  the  previous  day,  and  had  been  fighting  since 
five  in  the  morning,  were  greatly  exhausted ;  but  they 
forgot  their  hunger,  their  thirstr  and  their  weariness — 
forgot  every  thing  but  that  they  were  Sheridan's  sol- 
diers, and  that  they  must  drive  the  enemy  back.  Again 
they  charged  on  the  rebel  second  line,  over  stone  walls, 
over  steep  hill-sides,  and  through  thickets ;  Sheridan  him- 
self dashing  along  the  front,  cheering  them  with  his  con- 
fident smile  and  his  assurances  of  success,  and  giving  his 
orders  in  person  to  brigade,  division,  and  corps  com- 
manders. The  result  could  not  be  doubtful ;  the  second 
charge  carried  the  enemy's  second  line  with  the  same 
rush  and  with  greater  ease  than  the  first,  and  the  cavalry 
swept  on  in  magnificent  line  and  pushed  the  routed  foe 
into  more  hopeless  confusion  and  speedier  flight  than  in 
the. battle  of  the  19th  of  September.  Desperate  were 
the  efforts  of  the  rebel  officers  to  rally  their  men  and 
make  another  stand  ;  but  they  were  utterly  in  vain,  and 
Early's  army  was  again  "  sent  whirling"  up  the  valley. 
The  fighting  soon  swept  far  ahead  of  the  tired  infantiy, 
who  resumed  their  position  in  their  old  camps ;  while  the 
cavalry  pushed  Early's  jaded  legions  on  and  still-  on 
through  Strasburg,  past  Fisher's  Hill,  till  they  reached 
Woodstock,  sixteen  miles  distant.  The  rebels  aban- 
doned every  thing  in  their  flight — cannon,  small- 
arms,  knapsacks,  great-coats,  baggage-wagons,  caissons, 
ammunition-wagons,  and  ambulances.  The  twenty-four 
cannon  captured  from  the  Union  troops  in  the  morning 
were  retaken,  and  besides  them  twenty-five  more  of 
Early's  own.  Besides  these,  there  were  fifty  wagons, 
sixty -five  ambulances,  sixteen  hundred  small-arms,  several 

19* 


222  OUR  GEEAT  CAPTAINS. 

battle-flags,  fifteen  hundred  prisoners,  and  two  thousand 
killed  and  wounded  left  upon  the  field.  The  Union  losses 
during  the  day  had  been  heavy,  especially  in  the  morning, 
being  in  all  about  thirty-eight  hundred,  of  whom  eight 
hundred  were  prisoners.  From  this  last  and  stunning 
defeat,  Early's  army  never  recovered.  In  all  the  records 
of  modern -history  there  are  but  three  examples  of  such  a 
battle,  lost  and  won  on  the  same  field,  and  in  the  same 
conflict — Marengo,  Shiloh,  and  Stone  river ;  and  in  the 
two  former  the  retrieval  was  due  mainly  to  reinforce- 
ments brought  up  at  the  critical  time,  while  the  third 
was  not  so  immediately  decisive ;  but  here,  as  is  well 
remarked  by  Captain  De  'Forest  (to  whose  graphic  and 
eloquent  description  of  the  battle  in  "  Harper's  Magazine" 
we  acknowledge  our  indebtedness),  "  the  only  reinforce- 
ment which  the  Army  of  the  Shenandoah  received  or 
needed  to  recover  its  lost  field  of  battle,  camps,  intrench- 
ments,  and  cannon,  was  one  man — SHERIDAN." 

Lieutenant-General  Grant's  opinion  of  this  remarkable 
battle  may  be  gathered  from  the  dispatch  sent  by  him  to 
Secretary  Stanton,  on  the  evening  of  the  20th  of  October. 
It  was  as  follows : 

. 

HON.  E.  M.  STANTON,  Secretary  of  War : 

I  had  a  salute  of  ond  hundred  guns  fired  from  each  of 
the  armies  here,  in  honor  of  Sheridan's  last  victory. 
Turning  what  bid  fair  to  be  a  disaster  into  a  glorious 
victory,  stamps  Sheridan,  what  I  have  always  thought 
him,  one  of  the  ablest  of  generals: 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant-General. 

General  Sheridan  also  received  an  autograph  letter  of 
thanks  from  the  President,  and  on  the  14th  of  Novem- 
ber a  general  order,  announcing  General  McClellan's 


GENERAL  SHERIDAN.  223 

resignation  as  major-general  in  the  regular  army,  ap- 
pointed General  Sheridan  to  the  same  rank,  to  fill  the 
vacancy,  to  date  from  the  8th  of  November,  as  an  ac- 
knowledgment of  his  ability  and  generalship  in  the  cam- 
paign in  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  and  especially  in 
the  battle  of  the  19th  of  October. 

For  six  weeks  after  this  battle  there  were  occasional 
skirmishes  of  greater  of  less  severity,  between  Torbert's 
cavalry  or  some  portions  of  it,  and  the  rebel  cavalry  offi- 
cers Rosser  and  Lomax ;  but  Early,  though  moving  un- 
easily up  and  down  the  valley  from  Mount  Jackson  or 
New  Market  to  Fisher's  Hill,  carefully  avoided  any  thing 
like  a  general  engagement,  and  in  December  sent  a  part 
of  his  forces  to  strengthen  General  Lee.  Meantime  the 
guerrilla  warfai-e  continued  with  all  its  vexatious  annoy- 
ances and  stealthy  murders,  and  General  Sheridan  found 
it  necessary  to  desolate  the  valley  of  the  Blue  Ridge  by 
his  cavalry,  as  he  had  done  the  valleys  west  of  it.  In 
two  expeditions  undertaken  for  this  purpose,  property  to 
the  amount  of  nearly  seven  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars 
was  either  captured  or  destroyed ;  vast  herds  of  cattle, 
sheep,  and  swine,  and  large  numbers  of  horses  and  mules 
brought  in.  Driven  from  the  region,  the  guerrilla  bands 
have  since  concentrated  near  the  upper  Potomac,  and  at 
Piedmont,  New  Creek,  and  other  points,  have  done 
some  mischief;  but  their  power  has  been  greatly  crippled 
by  the  stern  and  thorough  measures  adopted  by  General 
Sheridan.  In  December  the  Sixth  corps  was  returned  to 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac ;  and  the  Army  of  the  Sheu- 
andoah  for  nearly  two  months  acted  principally  as  an 
army  of  observation.  About  the  first  of  March,  General 
Sheridan  moved  with  his  magnificent  cavalry  force  up 
the  valley  towards  Staunton ;  and  after  the  capture  of 
that  town  moved  forward  to  Fisherville  and  Waynes- 


224:  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

boro,  and  near  the  latter  place  attacked  and  defeated 
Early,  capturing  twelve  hundred  and  fifty-two  prisoners 
(including  eighty-seven  officers),  five  cannon,  one  hun- 
dred wagons,  over  one  hundred  horses  and  mules,  &c., 
&c.  Early  himself  escaped  with  difficulty,  some  of  his 
staff-officers  and  his  personal  baggage  being  captured. 
He  was  pursued  as  far  as  Greenwood  Station,  where 
more  cannon,  and  ordnance,  and  commissary  supplies 
were  captured.  Sheridan  next  entered  Charlottesville, 
where  he  remained  two  days  bringing  up  his  trains,  and 
dispatched  from  thence  his  First  division  to  destroy  the 
James  River  canal,  at  Scottsville,  and  thence  to  Du- 
guidsville,  fifteen  miles  below,  which  they  accomplished. 
The  Third  division  were  sent  at  the  same  time  to  burn 
the  bridges  and  tear  up  the  railroad  track  on  the  Lynch- 
burg  railroad.  He  himself  moved  to  Columbia  on  the 
James  river,  destroying  the  canal  and  its  locks  all  the 
way  ;  and  turning  thence  to  the  Virginia  Central  railroad, 
broke  up  its  track  thoroughly  for  fifteen  miles,  and  de- 
stroyed all  bridges  over  the  James  and  its  tributaries. 
On  the  18th  he  reached  the  north  bank  of  the  Pamunkey 
near  White  House,  where  he  remained  for  a  short  time 
with  his  troops.  He  desolated  the  country  through 
which  he  passed  completely,  and  destroyed  property 
which  the  rebels  themselves  estimated  at  fifty  millions  of 
dollars.  The  destruction  of  the  James  River  canal  and 
the  Lynchburg  railroad  were  terrible  blows  to  Lee's 
army  at  Richmond,  as  by  far  the  greater  part  of  their 
supplies  were  brought  in  by  these  routes. 

On  the  25th  of  March,  Sheridan's  army  moved  from 
White  House  across  the  James  river,  at  Wilcox's  land- 
ing, reaching  their  destination  at  night.  After  two  days 
spent  in  recruiting  and  preparing  for  another  campaign, 
they  moved,  accompanied  by  the  Fifth  army  corps,  on 


GENERAL    SHEEIDAH.  225 

the  morning  of  the  29th  of  March,  for  Dinwiddie  Court- 
house a  part  of  the  force  moving  still  further  out  towards 
the  Southside  railroad,  and  menacing  Burkesvilk,  fifty- 
three  miles  distant  from  Petersburg,  at  the  junction  of 
that  road  with  the  Richmond  and  Danville  railroad ; 
and  having  succeeded  in.  inducing  General  Lee  to  send  a 
large  force  in  that  direction  to  protect  so  vital  a  point, 
he  wheeled  suddenly,  and  striking  the  Southside  railroad 
within  a  few  miles  of  Petersburg,  commenced  moving 
towards  that  city,  tearing  up  the  road  as  he  marched. 
He  soon  encountered  the  enemy  in  this  movement,  and 
on  Thursday,  March  3.0th,  a  battle  was  fought  between 
his  cavalry  and  the  enemy's  infantry,  in  which  the  cav- 
alry were  repulsed.  On  Friday,  the  Fifth  corps  sup- 
porting him,  he  again  attacked  the  enemy,  but  with  no 
better  success, — the  Fifth  corps,  under  the  command  of 
General  G.  K.  Warren,  failing  to  hold  their  position, 
and  suffering  themselves  to  be  driven  back  to  Dinwiddie 
Court-house.  On  Saturday,  General  Sheridan  relieved 
General  Warren  from  command,  and  putting  General 
Griffin  in  his  place,  took  command  on  Saturday  of  the 
entire  force  (his  own  cavalry  and  infantry,  and  the  Fifth 
corps),  and  fought  the  severe  battle  of  Five  Forks, 
while  the  remainder  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  were 
attacking  the  enemy's  strong  fortifications  along  the 
Southside  railroad  in  front,  and  the  Army  of  the  James 
were  assailing  their  left  flank.  By  a  masterly  movement 
he  enveloped  their  right  flank,  and  captured  about  six 
thousand  prisoners,  besides  possessing  himself  of  the 
Southside  railroad,  and  the  rear  of  the  rebel  works.  The 
simultaneous  onset  along  the  'whole  lines  on  Sunday, 
April  2d,  compelled  the  rebels  to  evacuate  Petersburg 
and  Richmond,  and  Sheridan,  leaving  others  to  take  care 
of  the  captured  cities,  lost  no  time  in  moving  towards 


226  OUK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

Burkesville.  Finding  that  Lee  had  not  dared  to  cross 
the  Appomattox  river,  but  was  retreating  along  its  north 
bank,  Sheridan  moved  on  Tuesday,  April  5,  to  Jetters- 
ville,  on  the  Danville  railroad,  twelve  miles  northeast 
of  Burkesville,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  April  6,  having  fol- 
lowed them  to  Deatouville,  near  Amelia  Court-house,  the 
remainder  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  having  come  up, 
he  attacked  them,  and  completely  defeated  the  remnant 
of  Lee's  army,  capturing  Lieutenant-General  Ewell 
(General  A.  P.  Hill  had  been  killed  on  Sunday),  and  six 
other  generals,  many  thousands  of  prisoners,  and  most  of 
their  cannon;  and  on  Sunday,  April  9th,  General 
Lee,  with  the  remainder  of  his  army,  surrendered  to  the 
Union  general.  To  the  energy,  perseverance,  and  in- 
domitable resolution  of  General  Sheridan  was  this  glo- 
rious result  mainly  due. 

In  person,  Major-General  Sheridan  is  small,  about  five 
feet  five  inches  in  height,  of  dark  complexion  and  hair, 
with  a  piercing  blue  eye,  and  an*energetic,  determined 
face.  In  private  life  he  is  social  and  genial,  with  a  ready 
command  of  language.  His  manner  is  fascinating,  and 
wins  for  him  at  once  the  love  and  confidence  of  his  sub- 
ordinates. He  is,  with  all  his  dashing  qualities,  calm, 
cool,  cautious,  fertile  in  resources,  careful  of  his  men,  and 
thoroughly  self-possessed  at  all  times.  No  officer  in  the 
army  can  rouse  his  troops  to  so  high  a  pitch  of  enthusi- 
asm, or  hold  them  there  so  firmly,  as  "Little  Phil 
Sheridan."' 


V. 
Vice-Admiral  David  Glascoe  Farragut 

HEROES  have  not  been  wanting  in  the  history  of  mar- 
jtime  warfare,  at  any  time  'in  these  last  three  hundred 
years.  Holland  points,  with  pride,  to  her  gallant  De 
Kuyter  and  Van  Tromp,  who  made  the  little  republic 
among  the  marshes  and  canals  that  yield  tribute  to  the 
Zuyder  Zee,  famous  the  woi'ld  over.  England  glories  in 
her  Blake,  her  Collingwood,  and  most  of  all,  in  her  Nel- 
son, the  model  naval  hero  of  all  her  history ;  and  we 
cannot  suppress  our  admiration  of  the  daring  of  the 
reckless  John  Paul  Jomes,  the  matchless  patriotism,  of 
Lawrence,  and  the  gallant  bearing  and  extraordinary  suc- 
cess of  Perry,  Bainbridge,  Decatur,  and  the  elder  Porter, 
while  in  the  pi'esent  war  the  heroic  Foote,  Dupont, 
Winslow,  D.  D.  Porter,  and  Rogers  have  covered  their 
names  with  glory. 

But  among  all  these  illustrious  names  there  is  none 
which  so  thoroughly  awakens  our  enthusiasm,  or  so 
readily  calls  forth  our  applause,  as  that  of  our  illustrious 
Vice-Admiral.  With  all  of  Nelson's  courage  and  dar- 
ing, he  has  more  than  his  executive  ability  and  fertility  of 
resource,  a  wider,  and  more  generous  intellectual  culture, 
and  a  more  unblemished,  naive,  frank,  and' gentle  char- 
acter. 

He  bears  in  his  veins  some  traces  of  the  best  blood  of 
Spain,  his  father,  George  Farragut,  having  been  a  native 
of  Citadella,  the  capital  of  the  island  of  Minorca,  and  a 
descendant  of  an  ancient  and  honorable  Catalonian  fam- 


228  OUR  GREATV "CAPTAINS. 

ily.  The  father  came  to  this  country  in  1776,  and  united 
inost  heartily  in  our  struggle  for  independence,  attaining 
during  the  war  the  rank  of  major.  After  the  conclusion 
of  the  war,  Major  Farragut  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Shine,  of  North  Carolina,  a  descendant  of  the  old  Scotch 
family  of  Mclven,  and  settled  as  a  farmer  at  Campbell's 
station,  near  Knoxville,  Tennessee.  Here,  on  the  5th  of 
July,  1801,  his  illustrious  son  was  born.  The  father 
seems  to  have  been  not  altogether  contented  with  a. 
farmer's  life  in  that  mountainous  region,  for  not  long^ 
after,  we  hear  of  him  as  a  sailing-master  in  the  navy, 
and  an  intimate  friend  of  the  father  of  Commodore 
David  Porter,  who  then  held  a  similar  rank.  Young 
Farragut  inherite'd  bis  father's  love  for  the  sea,  and 
though  brought  up  so  far  inland,  among  the  Cumberland 
Mountains,  he  had  hardly  reached  the  age  of  nine  and 
a  half  years,  when  the  longing  for  a  sailor's  life  possessed 
him  so  strongly,  that  his  father  consented ;  and  after 
some  little  delay,  a  midshipman's  warrant  was  procured 
for  him. 

His  first  cruise  was  under  the  command  of  Captain 
(then  master-commandant)  Porter,  who,  in  July,  1812, 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain,  and  soon  after 
sailed  in  the  Essex  for  the  South  American  coast  and  the 
Pacific.  To  this  famous  frigate  the  young  midshipman 
was  ordered,  before  her  departure,  and  he  remained  on 
her  through  the  eventful  two  years  that  followed,  when 
she  drove  the  British  commerce  out  of  the  Pacific.  When, 
on  the  28th-  of  March,  1814,  the  British  frigate  Phrebe, 
36  guns,  and  sloop-of-war  Cherub,  28  guns,  without  scru- 
ple attacked  the  Essex  in  the  harbor  of  Valparaiso,  in 
violation  of  the  rights  of  a  neutral  nation  (a  precedent 
which  the  British  government  seem  to  have  forgotten  of 
late),  there  ensued  one  of  the  fiercest  naval  battles  on 


VICE-ADMIRAL  FAKKAGUT.  229 

record.  Though  fighting  against  hopeless  odds,  the  two 
British  vessels  having  twice  the  number  of  guns  and  men 
of  the  Essex,  Commodore  Porter,  with  the  reckless  dar- 
ing which  was  so  marked  a  trait  of  his  character,  refused 
to  strike  his  colors  till  his  ship  had  been  three  or  four 
times  on  fire,  and  was  in  a  sinking  condition,  with  her 
rigging  shot  away,  the  flames  threatening  her  magazine, 
and  152,  out  of  her  crew  of  255,  killed,  wounded,  or 
missing.  The  battle  had  lasted  two  and  a  half  hours. 
On  his  surrender,  the  Essex  Junior,  a  whaling-ship  which 
he  had  converted  into  a  sloop-of-war,  but  which  had  been 
unable  to  take  any  part  in  the  battle,  was  sent  home  with 
the  prisoners  on  parole.  The  young  midshipman,  then 
a  boy  under  fourteen,  was  in  the  hottest  of  the  fight,  and 
Avas  slightly  wounded  during  the  action.  Before  the  loss 
of  the  Essex,  he  had  served  as  acting-lieutenant  on  board 
the  Atlantic,  an  armed  prize. 

On  his  return  to  the  United  States,  Commodore  Por- 
ter placed  him  at  school  at  Chester,  Pa.,  where  he  was 
taught,  among  other  studies,  the  elements  of  military 
and  naval  tactics;  but  in  1816  he  was  again  afloat  and 
on  board  the  flag-ship  of  the  Mediterranean  squadron,- 
where  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  meet,  in  the  chaplain, 
Rev.  Charles  Folsom,  an  instructor  to  whom  he  became 
ardently  attached,  and  to  whose  teachings  he  attributes 
much  of  his  subsequent  usefulness  and  success.  Mr.  Fol- 
som was  appointed  consul  at  Tunis,  not  long  after,  and 
thither  young  Farragut  accompanied  him.  In  a  letter 
recently  published,  Mr.  Folsom  speaks  thus  of  his  inter- 
course with  the  young  hero :  ..."  All  needed  control 
was  that  of  an  elder  over  an  affectionate  younger  brother. 
He  was  now  introduced  to  entirely  new  scenes,  and  had 
social  advantages  which  compensated  for  his  former  too 
exclusive  sea-life.  He  had  found  a  home  on  shore,  and 

20 


230  CUE   GREAT    CAPTAINS. 

every  type  of  European  civilization  and  manners  in  the 
families  of  the  consuls  of  different  nations.  In  all  of 
them  my  young  countryman  was  the  delight  of  old  and 
young.  This  had  always  been  among  his  chief  moral 
dangers  ;  but  here  he  learned  to  be  proof  against  petting 
and  flattery.  Here,  too,  he  settled  his  definition  of  true 
glory — glory,  the  idol  of  his  profession — if  not  in  the 
exact  words  of  Cicero,  at  least  in  his  own  clear  thought. 
Our  familiar  walks  and  rides  were  so  many  lessons  in 
ancient  history,  and  the  lover  of  historic  parallels  will  be 
gratified  to  know  that  we  possibly  sometimes  stood  on 
the  very  spot  where  the  boy  Hannibal  took  the  oath  that 
consecrated  him  to  the  defence  of  his  country." 

This  pleasant  period  of  instruction  passed  all  too  quick- 
ly, and  the  boy,  now  grown  to  man's  estate,  after  some 
further  service  in  the  Mediterranean,  was,  on  the  1st  of 
January,  1821,  at  the  age  of  nineteen  and  a  half  years, 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  and  ordered  to  duty 
on  the  West  India  station.  In  1824  he  was  assigned  to» 
duty  at  the  Norfolk  navy-yard  ;  and  with  the  exception 
of  a  two  years'  cruise  in  the  Vandalia,  on  the  Brazil  sta- 
tion, remained  at  Norfolk  till  1833.  Here  he  married  a 
lady  of  highly  respectable  family,  and  during  the  long 
years  of  suffering  through  which  she  was  called  to  pass, 
from  a  hopeless  physical  malady,  he  proved  one  of  the 
most  tender  and  affectionate  of  husbands,  never  weary- 
ing of  administering  all  the  relief  and  comfort  to  the  suf- 
ferer in  his  power.  When  death  at  last  terminated  her 
protracted  distress,  he  mourned  her  tenderly  and  long. 
He  subsequently  married  another  lady  of  Norfolk,  Miss 
Virginia  Loyall,.the  daughter  of  one  of  the  most  eminent 
citizens  of  that  city.  The  issue  of  this  marriage  is  a  son, 
now  a  cadet  at  West  Point,  who  bears  the  honorable 
name  of  LOYALL  FAKRAGUT.  That  he  may  do  honor  to 


VICE-ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  231 

such  a  name  and  attain  in  another  field  to  a  reputation 
as  untarnished  and  a  distinction  as  lofty  as  his  father's, 
must  be  the  wish  of  all  who  know  either  sire  or  son. 

In  1833,  Lieutenant  Fai'ragut  was  made  executive 
officer  (lieutenant-commander)  of  the  sloop  of  war  Nat- 
chez, and  again  ordered  to  the  Brazilian  coast,  and  in 
1838  transferred  to  the  West  India  or  home  squadron. 
In  1841  he  was  commissioned  as  commander,  and  ordered 
to  the.sloop-of-war  Decatur,  on  the  Brazil  squadron.  In 
1842  he  received  three  years'  leave  of  absence,  and  at  its 
expiration  was  again  ordered  to  the  Norfolk  navy-yard, 
where  he  remained  till  1847,  when  he- took  command  of 
the  sloop-of-war  Saratoga,  of  the  home  squadron.  In 
1850  he  was  again  assigned  to  duty  at  Norfolk,  where 
in  1851  he  was  appointed  assistant  inspector  of  ordnance. 
After  serving  in  this  capacity  for  three  years  he  was  sent 
to  California,  in  1854,  as  commander  of  the  Man  Island 
navy-yard.  In  1855  he  was  commissioned  captain  ;  and 
from  1858  to  May,  1860,  he  was  in  command  of  the 
steam  sloop-of-war  Brooklyn,  in  the  home  squadron. 
During  all  these  years  of  service,  Captain  Farragut  had 
been  a  diligent  student,  ever  seeking  the  opportunity  of 
increasing  his  professional  and  general  knowledge.  While 
inferior  to  no  officer  of  the  navy  in  his  acquaintance  with 
every  thing  appertaining  to  naval  science  or  warfare,  he 
is  superior  to  most  of  them  in  the  wide  range  of  his  gen- 
eral culture,  especially  in  the  languages.  He  speaks 
with  fluency  and  correctness  most  of  the  languages  of 
Europe,  as  well  as  Turkish  and  Arabic. 

In  1860  he  had  spent  nearly  nineteen  years  afloat, — 
eighteen  years  and  four  months  on  shore  duty,  and  ten 
years  and  ten  months  either  waiting  orders  or  on  leave 
of  absence.  Forty-eight  of  his  fifty-eight  years  had  been 
spent  in  the  naval  service. 


232  OUK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

In  April,  1861,  came  the  rebellion.  Captain  Farragut 
was  at  his  home  in  Norfolk,  surrounded  by  those  who 
wore  sympathizers  with  the  rebellion,  and  who  were 
already  maturing  plans  for  the  seizure  of  the  government 
property,  and  its  conversion  to  rebel  uses.  No  more 
loyal  heart  ever  beat  than  his,  and  in  frank  and  manly 
terms  he  denounced  the  whole  proceedings  of  the  trai- 
tors, and  gave  expression  to  his  abhorrence  of  them. 
This  roused  all  the  demoniac  hatred  of  the  plotters  of 
treason,  and  they  told  him  at  once,  in  tones  of  menace, 
that  he  could  not  be  permitted  to  live  there,  if  he  held 
such  sentiments.  "Very  well,"  was  his  prompt  reply, 
"then  I  will  go  where  I  can  live  and  hold  such  senti- 
ments." Returning  to  his  home,  he  informed  his  family 
that  they  must  leave  Norfolk  for  New  York  in  a  few 
hours.  They,  immediately  made  their  preparations,  and 
the  next  morning,  April  18,  1861,  bid  adieu  to  Norfolk. 
Arriving  -at  Baltimore,  he  found  the  mob  in  possession  of 
the  city,  and  with  difficulty  secured  a  passage  by  steamer 
and  canal-boat  to  Columbia,  Pennsylvania,  from  which 
point  he  reached  New  York  with  his  family  by  railway. 
Securing  a  residence  for  his  family  at  Hastings,  on  the 
Hudson,  he  repaired  at  once  to  Washington  and  .asked 
to  be  employed  in  the  service  of  his  country.  But 
though  fully  appreciating  his  loyalty  and  ability,  the 
government  had  no  ship  for  him  to  command.  The 
treachery  of  the  former  Secretary  of  the  Navy  had  sent 
most  of  our  ships  to  distant  foreign  ports,  and  of  the 
very  few  that  were  left,  the  best  had  been  seized  or  de- 
stroyed at  Norfolk,  and  the  remainder,  to  which  they 
were  making  additions  as  rapidly  as  possible,  were  in 
command  of  his  seniors  in  the  service.  The  Navy  De- 
partment were,  however,  anxious  to  give  him  employ- 
ment, and  in  default  of  any  thing  else  he  served  for  a 


VICE-ADMIRAL    FAEKAGUT.  233 

time  as  a  member  of  the  Naval  Retiring  Board,  which 
shelved  the  incompetent  officers  of  the  navy,  and  pro- 
moted the  active,  loyal,  and  deserving. 

Meantime,  the  government  had  resolved  otf  the  cap- 
ture of  New  Orleans,  and  entered  with  zeal  upon  the 
work  of  fitting  out  a  squadron,  as  well  as  an  army  for  its 
reduction.  The  squadron  was  to  consist  of  a  fleet  of 
armed  steamers,  and  twenty  bomb-schooners,  each  carry- 
ing gigantic  mortars,  throwing  fifteen-inch  shells. 

The  bomb-fleet  was  to  be  under  the  command  of 
Commander  David  D.  Porter,  but  he  was  to  report  to 
Flag-Officer  Farragut,  who  was  to  have  charge  of  the 
entire  squadron.  Selecting  the  Hartford  as  his  flag-ship, 
and  having  made  all  possible  preparations  for  his  expedi- 
tion, Flag-Officer  Farragut  received  his  orders  on  the 
20th  of  January,  1862,  and  on  the  3d  of  February  sailed 
from  Hampton  Roads.  Arriving  at  Sliip  Island  on  the 
20th  of  February,  he  organized  the  West  Gulf  Blockading 
Squadron,  and  in  spite  of  difficulties  of  all  sorts, — the  de- 
lay in  forwarding  coal,  naval  stores,  hospital  stores,  am- 
munition, etc.,  the  labor  of  getting  vessels  drawing 
twenty-two  feet  over  the  bars  at  Pass.L'Outre  and  South- 
west Pass,  where  the  depth  was  but  twelve  and  fifteen 
feet,  the  ignorance  and  stupidity  of  some  of  the  officers, 
and  every  other  obstacle  he  had  to  encounter, — made 
steady  progress.  The  difficulties  were  not  all  sur- 
mounted until  the  18th  of  April,  when  the  bombard- 
ment of  Fort  Jackson,  the  lowermost  of  the  two  forts 
defending  the  passage  of  the  Mississippi,  was  com- 
menced. These  forts  were  seventy-five  miles  below 
New  Orleans  and  possessed  great  strength.  A  continu- 
ous bombardment  was  maintained  for  six  days,  by  wliich 
the  forts  were  considerably  damaged,  but  they  still  held 
out  stoutly.  A  heavy  iron  chain  had  been  stretched 

20* 


234:  OUR   GEE  AT   CAPTAINS. 

across  the  river,  supported  by  large  logs,  to  obstruct  the 
passage  of  vessels,  and  was  placed  at  a  point  where  the 
fire  of  the  two  forts  could  be  most  effectively  concen- 
trated, .fflbove  this  chain  lay  the  rebel  fleet  of  sixteen 
gunboats  and  two  iron-clad  rams.  Along  the  banks  of 
the  river  were  land  batteries,  mounting  several  guns 
each. 

Finding  that  the  forts  were  not  likely  to  yield  to  the 
bombardment,  Flag-Officer  Farragut  called  a  council  of 
war,  and  after  hearing  their  opinions,  which  were  some- 
what discordant,  issued  his  general  order  of  April  20th, 
in  which  the  spirit  of  the  hero  gleams  out.  This  was  his 
language  :  "  The  flag-officer  having  heard  all  the  opinions 
expressed  by  the  different  commanders,  is  of  the  opinion 
that  whatever  is  to  be  done  will  have  to  be  done  quickly. 
When,  in  the  opinion  of  the  flag-officer,  the  propitious 
time  has  arrived,  the  signal  will  be  made  to  weigh,  and 

advance  to  the  conflict He  will  make  the  signal 

for  close  action,  and  abide  the  result — conquer,  or  be  con- 
quered." 

After  further  and  severe  bombardment  of  the  forts, 
the  flag-officer  gave  notice  to  the  steam-vessels  of  the 
squadron,  of  his  determination  to  break  the  chain  and 
run  past  the  forts,  engage  the  rebel  fleet,  and  having  de- 
feated it,  ascend  the  river  to  New  Orleans,  and  capture 
that  city.  It  was  a  most  daring  movement.  The  vessels 
of  the  squadron  would  be  exposed  to  the  concentrated 
fire  of  the  forts  until  the  chain  was  broken  and  they 
were  all  past  it ;  and  then  they  would  encounter  a  fleet 
nearly  equal  to  their  own  in  numbers,  and  two  of  its 
vessels  iron-clads, — at  that  time  an  unknown  power  in 
navai  warfare.  To  rush  on  such  dangers  as  these  seemed 
rash,  reckless,  almost  foolhardy.  But  the  flag-officer  had 
weighed  well  his  chances,  and  believing  that  cool  courage 


VICE-ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  235 

and  prompt  action  were  the  principal  requisites  for  suc- 
cess, and  that  the  prize  to  be  won  justified  the  risk,  he 
gave  the  order  to  start  at  2  A.  M.,  April  24th,  and  mean- 
time visited  each  ship,  and  personally  superintended  the 
adoption  of  the  requisite  measures  for  the  preservation 
of  life  and  of  the  vessels,  and  gave  his  instructions  to  the 
officers  as  to  the  mode  of  the  attack.  The  different 
plans  adopted  for  protecting  the  ships  and  machinery 
from  injury  were  ingenious  and  proved  effective. 

The  sheet-cables  were  stopped  up  and  down  on  the 
sides  in  the  line  of  the  engines,  thus  extemporizing  an 
iron  plating  over  this  most  vulnerable  portion ;  and  ham- 
mocks, coal,  bags  of  ashes,  bags  of  sand,  &c.,  were  placed 
in  such  a  way  as  to  protect  the  engines  from  shots  coming 
in  forward  or  abaft.  The  bulwarks  were  lined  either  with 
hammocks  or  splinter  nettings.  Some  of  the  vessels 
coated  their  sides  with  mud,  to  make  them  less  visible, 
and  some  whitewashed  their  decks,  that  objects  might 
be  more  visible  by  night.  The  signal  was  made  at  five 
minutes  before  two,  A.  jr.,  but,  some  of  the  vessels  having 
trouble  in  weighing  anchor,  the  fleet  did  not  get  under 
way  till  half-past  three,  A.  ar.  The  chain  had  previously 
been  broken,  and  the  mortar-vessels  mov«d  up  and  an- 
chored ready  to  pour  in  their  fire  as  soon  as  the  forts 
should  open.  The  steam-fleet  moved  up  in  two  columns, 
one  led  by  Flag-Officer  Farragut  in  person,  in  the  Hart- 
ford, the  other  by  Captain  Theodorus  Bailey,  as  second 
in  .command,  in  the  Cayuga.  The  left  column  (Farra- 
gut's)  was  composed  of  the  Hartford,  Brooklyn,  Rich- 
mond, Sciota,  Iroquois,  Kennebec,  Pinola,  Itasca,  and 
Winona;  the  right  (Bailey's)  of  the  Cayuga,  Pensacola, 
Mississippi,  Oneida,  Varuna,  Katahdin,  Kineo,  and  Wis- 
sahickon.  .The  right  column  was  to  engage  Fort  St. 
Philip ;  the  left,  Fort  Jackson.  The  fleet  were  fairly 


236  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

abreast  of  the  forts  before  they  were  discovered,  and 
fire  opened  upon  them ;  but  from  that  moment  the  firing 
was  terrible,  and  the  smoke,  settling  down  like  a  pall 
upon  the  river,  produced  intense  darkness,  and  the  ships 
could  only  aim  at  the  flash  from  the  forts,  the  forts  at  the 
flash  from  the  ships.  A  fire-raft,  pushed  by  the  ram 
Manassas  against  the  flag-ship  (the  Hartford)  •  set  it  on 
fire,  and  at  the  same  instant  it  ran  aground  ;  but  by  the 
prompt  and  disciplined  exertions  of  the  men  it  was  ex- 
tinguished in  a  few  minutes  and  got  afloat,  never  ceasing 
for  a  moment  its  fire  upon  the  enemy.  At  times  the  gun- 
boats passed  so  near  the  forts  as  to  be  able  to  throw  their 
broadsides  of  shrapnel,  grape,  and  canister  with  most 
destructive  force  into  their  interior ;  and  the  forts,  in  the 
endeavor  to  depress  their  guns  sufficiently  to  strike  the 
vessels,  lost  their  shot,  which  rolled  inU>  the  ditches. 
They  were  nearly  past  the  forts  when  the  rebel  fleet 
came  down  upon  them,  the  iron-clad  ram  Manassas 
among  them.  Several  of  these  gunboats  were  iron- 
clad about  the  bow,  and  had  iron  beaks  or  spurs.  The 
Cayuga,  Captain  Bailey's  flagship,  was  the  first  to  en- 
counter these;  and  soon  after  the  Varuna,  commanded  by 
Captain  Boggs,  found  itself  in  a  nest  of  rebel  steamers, 
and  moved  forward  delivering  its  broadsides,  port  and 
starboard,  with  fearful  precision,  into  its  antagonists, 
four  of  which  were  speedily  disabled  and  sunk  by  its 
fire.  The  Varuna  was  finally  attacked  by  the  Morgan 
and  another  rebel  gunboat,  both  iron-clad  at  the  bow, 
which  crushed  in  her  sides  ;  but,  crowding  her  steam,  she 
drew  them  on,  while  still  fast,  and  poured  broadsides 
into  both,  which  drove  them  ashore  crippled  and  in  flames. 
Running  his  own  steamer  on  shore  as  speedily  as  pos- 
sible, the  gallant  Boggs  fought  her  as  long  as  his 
guns  were  out  of  water,  and  then  brought  off  his 


VICE-ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  237 

men,  who  were  taken  on  board  the  Oneida  and  other 
gunboats  of  the  fleet.  Several  of  the  gunboats  were 
considerably  injured,  but  none  of  them  lost  except  the 
Varuna.  The  Itasca,  Winona,  and  Kennebec  were  dis- 
abled, and  obliged  to  fall  back.  Thirteen  of  the  seven- 
teen^ vessels  composing  Flag-Officer  Farragut's  squadron 
were  able  to  pass  in  safety  these  forts,  and  had  defeated 
a  rebel  fleet,  destroying  thirteen  of  their  gunboats  and 
rams,  and  the  iron-clad  Manassas,  and  compelling  the  re- 
mainder to  shelter  themselves  under  the  guns  of  the  forts. 
The  entire  loss  of  the  Union  squadron  was  but  thirty -six 
killed,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  wounded. 

The  gallant  flag-officer  now  ascended  the  river,  en- 
countering slight  opposition  from  the  Chalmette  bat- 
teries, about  three  miles  below  New  Orleans ;  but  they 
were  silenced  in  twenty  minutes,  and  at  noon  of  the  25th 
of  April  he  lay  in  front  of  the  city,  and  demanded  its 
surrender.  Four  days  later  the  forts  were  surrendered  to 
Captain  Porter,  and  General  Butler  came  up  the  river 
to  arrange  for  landing  his  troops,  and  taking  possession 
of  the  conquered  city.  Meantime,  Farragut  had  as- 
cended the  river  above  the  city  to  Carrolton,  where  had 
been  erected  some  strong  works  to  oppose  the  progress 
of  Flag-Officer  Foote,  should  he  descend  the  river. 

O  ' 

These,  on  the  approach  of  the  gunboats,  were  abandoned, 
and  their  guns  spiked.  They  were  destroyed. 

New  Orleans  being  safely  in  the  possession  of  the 
Union  forces,  Flag-Officer  Farragut  ascended  the  Missis- 
sippi, and,  on  the  27th  of  June,  ran  his  vessels  safely 
past  the  rebel  batteries  at  Vicksburg,  and  communicated 
with  Flag-Officer  Davis,  then  commanding  the  Missis- 
sippi Squadron,  and  arranged  for  a  joint  attack  upon 
Vicksburg.  The  attack  failed,  because  the  bluffs  at 
Yicksburg  were  too  high  to  be  effectively  bombarded 


238  ODK   GEE  AT   CAPTAINS. 

by  the  gunboats,  and  the  capture  of  the  city  required 
the  co-operation  of  a  land  force.  He  therefore  repassed 
the  batteries  in  safety  on  the  15th  of  July,  and,  descend- 
ing the  river,  made  Pensacola  the  headquarters  of  his 
squadron.  On  the  1 1th  of  July,  the  rank  of  rear-admiral 
having  been  created  in  accordance  with  the  recommen- 
dation of  a  committee  of  Congress,  Captain  Farragut 
was  advanced  to  that  rank,  and  placed  first  on  the  list 
for  his  meritorious  conduct  in  the  capture  of  New.  Or- 
leans. He  also  received  the  thanks  of  both  houses  of 
Congress.  In  the  aatumn  of  1862,  he  directed  the  naval 
attacks  on  Corpus  Christi,  Sabine  Pass,  and  Galveston, 
which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  those  points.  In  his. 
duties,  as  the  commander  of  a  blockading  and  guarding 
squadron,  there  was  much  of  detail ;  attacks  of  guerillas 
along  the  river  shores,  to  be  parried  and  punished  ;  sur- 
prises of  the  weaker  vessels  of  the  squadron,  to  be  chas- 
tised and  revenged  ;  expeditions  against  rebel  towns  on 
or  near  the  coast,  to  be  aided  and  sustained ;  and  careful 
lookout  to  be  kept  for  blockade-runners,  who  sought 
their  opportunity  to  slip  into  the  ports  of  Mobile,  Gal- 
veston, and  Aransas.  These  occupied  much  of  his  time 
during  the  autumn  and  winter  of  1862—3. 

Early  in  March,  1863,  General  Grant,  who  was  then 
engaged  in  his  campaign  against  Vicksburg,  desired  that 
Rear- Admiral  Farragut  should  force  his  way  up  the 
Mississippi  with  some  of  his  most  formidable  steamships, 
and  assault  Vicksburg  from  below,  believing  that  such 
an  assault  would  aid  materially  in  its  reduction.  He 
proposed  also  that  a  co-operating  force  from  Rear- 
Admiral  Porter's  squadron  should  run  past  the  batteries 
of  Vicksburg  and  aid  in  this  attack,  and  be  prepared  also 
to  assail  and  carry  some  of  the  river  batteries  below, 
when  he  should  have  sent  his  troops  down  the  west 


VICE-ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  239 

side  of  the  Mississippi,  as  he  had  already  determined 
to  do. 

The  hero  of  New  Orleans  promptly  responded  to  Gen- 
eral Grant's  wish.  He  selected  for  the  work  eight  of  his 
vessels,  the  Hartford,  his  flag-ship,  the  Richmond,  a  sis- 
ter ship  in  size  and  armament,  the  Mississippi,  a  first 
class  steamship,  the  Monongahela,  rated  as  second-class, 
and  with  a  lighter  armament,  and  the  gunboats  Kineo, 
Albatross,  and  Genesee.  Besides  these,  there  were  six 
mortar-boats,  which  Avere  to  take  part  in  the  bombard- 
ment, but  not  to  run  past  the  batteries.  The  gunboats 
were  strengthened,  and  prepared  to  resist  the  terrible 
ordeal  of  fire  they  would  have  to  encounter  in  passing 
the  batteries  of  Port  Hudson,  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
two  miles  below  Vicksburg,  the  most  formidable  line  of 
fortifications  on  the  river  except  those  of  Vicksburg.  On 
the  morning  of  the  14th  of  March,  the  squadron  an- 
chored near  Prophet's  Island,  and  at  half  past  one  o'clock, 
p.  ar.,  the  mortar-boats  commenced  bombarding  the 
lower  batteries,  while  a  small  land-force,  sent  to  the  rear 
of  the  town  to  distract  the  attention  of  the  garrison,  on 
attaining  their  position,  opened  fire.  The  steamships 
meantime  awaited  nightfall  for  their  movements  ;  and,  at 
half-past  nine  p.  M.,  with  lights  out,  and  their  decks 
whitewashed,  to  enable  the  men  to  see  their  shot  and 
shell  which  were  piled  upon  the  decks,  they  moved 
quietly  up  the  river,  lashed  together,  two  and  two,  and 
hugging  the  eastern  bank.  Dark  as  was  the  night,  their 
movements  were  watched,  and  signalled  by  the  rebel 
scouts,  and  an  immense  bonfire  was  instantly  kindled, 
which  threw  its  lurid  flames  upon  the  river,  in  front  of 
the  most  powerful  of  the  rebel  batteries,  and  would  re- 
veal at  once  the  form  and  position  of  any  vessel  which 
might  attempt  to  pass.  The  situation  was  evidently  be- 


340  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

coming  more  desperate  every  moment ;  but  the  stout 
heart  of  the  admiral  did  not  quail  for  an  instant,  and  his 
squadron  moved  on  swiftly  towards  the  illumined  point, 
while  as  yet  no  gun  had  been  fired.  Suddenly  a  rebel 
fieldpiece,  concealed  in  the  foliage  along  the  shore, 
opened  fire  upon  the  Hartford,  and  a  broadside  was  re- 
turned. Then  opened  upon  the  stately  vessel  and  her 
consort  a  storm  of  fire  which  seemed  sufficient  to  anni- 
hilate both.  The  rebel  batteries,  extending  a  distance 
of  nearly  four  miles,  and  rising  tier  above  tier  on  the 
lofty  bluffs,  showered  their  iron  hail  upon  the  doomed 
vessels  and  the  mortar-boats  from  below,  and  the  vessels 
of  the  squadron  sent  back  their  replies  in  tones  of  thun- 
der. To  add  to  their  difficulties,  the  smoke  here,  as  at 
the  forts  below  New  Orleans,  settled  murky  and  thick 
upon  the  river,  and  bewildered  the  pilots  and  gunners. 
The  rebels,  from  their  stationary  batteries,  could  fire  with 
more  chance  of  success,  but  the  gunboats  were  more 
than  once  in  imminent  danger  of  firing  into  each  other. 
As  yet,  however,  no  one  of  the  vessels  had  been  dis- 
abled ;  but  as  they  neared  the  line  of  light,  at  a  point 
where  the  Mississippi  river  curves  and  the  channel  runs 
close  to  the  eastern  bank,  thus  bringing  the  vessels  al- 
most muzzle  to  muzzle  with  the  water  batteries  which 
lined  the  river-bank,  the  contest  grew  still- more  furious. 
/The  Hartford  and  Albatross,  which  were  lashed  toge- 
ther, succeeded  in  passing  the  batteries  without  serious 
injury;  the  Richmond,  with  theGenesee  attached  to  her, 
had  passed  most  of  the  principal  batteries,  though  with 
heavy  loss  of  gallant  officers,  when  a  shot  penetrated  her 
steam-chest  and  disabled  her,  and  with  her  consort  she 
dropped  down  to  Prophet's  Island.  The  Monongahela 
and  Kineo  came  next,  but  the  former  grounded,  and  for 
twenty-five  minutes  was  exposed  to  the  steady  fire  of 


'     VICE-ADM?RAL   FARKAGUT.  241 

the  principal  rebel  batteries,  and  was  badly  cut  up  ;  but 
finally  floating,  through  the  exertions  of  her  consort  she 
again  attempted  the  passage,  but  was  disabled  and  obliged 
to  drop  down  the  river.  The  Mississippi  and  Sachem 
came  last,  and  had  reached  the  point  directly  opposite 
the  town  without  any  serious  injury,  when  the  Mississippi 
grounded  hard  and  fast  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river, 
where  she  was  exposed  to  the  concentrated  fire  of  the 
entire  rebel  batteries.  Captain  Smith,  her  commander, 
while  every  effort  was  making  to  get  her  off,  ordered  his 
gunners  to  keep  up  as  rapid  a  fire  as  possible.  In  the 
next  thirty-five  minutes  they  fired  two  hundred  and  fifty 
shots.  At  the  end  of  that  time  it  became  evident  that 
she  could  not  be  saved  ;  and  providing  promptly  for  the 
preservation  of  his  crew  and  his  wounded  men,  Captain^ 
Smith  spiked  the  guns  himself,  and  laid  the  combustibles 
so  as  to  burn  the  ship.  He  had  just  fired  the  combus- 
tibles forward,  and  left  the  ship,  when  two  rebel  shells 
striking  her  amidships  set  on  fire  some  barrels  of  turpen- 
tine, and  in  an  instant  she  was  enveloped  in  flame. 
Lightened  by  the  combustion  and  the  removal  of  three 
hundred  men,  she  now  floated ;  and  turning  round,  the 
guns  of  her  port  battery,  which  had  not  been  discharged, 
now  reached  by  the  fire,  poured  a  final  and  terrible 
broadside  into  the  rebel  town..  Drifting  on,  a  mass  of 
flame,  she  passed  behind  Prophet's  Island ;  and  her  mag- 
azine exploding,  she  sank  beneath  the  waters. 

Of  the  whole  fleet,  then,  only  the  Hartford  and  Alba- 
tross passed  the  batteries,  but  the  Mississippi  alone  was 
destroyed ;  the  others,  though  injured,  were  soon  repaired, 
and  subsequently  rendered  efficient  service  in  the  re- 
duction1 of  the  rebel  stronghold.  The  Hartford  and  Al- 
batross blockaded  for  several  weeks  the  mouth  of  Red 
River,  from  which  supplies  had  been  sent  to  Vicksburg ; 


242  OUR   GREAT    CAPTAINS. 

and  when  Admiral  Porter,  in  May,  having  run  a  part  of 
his  squadron  past  the  Vicksburg  batteries,  relieved  Ad- 
miral Farragut  from  this  duty,  he  returned  with  his  ves- 
sels to  New  Orleans  by  way  of  the  Atchafalaya,  and 
directed  the  naval  operations  against  Port  Hudson  until 
its  surrender. 

The  admiral  had  long  desired  to  attack  the  defences  of 
Mobile,  and  thus  effectually  check  the  blockade-running 
which  it -was  impossible  wholly  to  prevent  while  that 
port  was  left  unmolested.  The  three  rebel  forts,  Morgan, 
Powell,  and  Gaines,  strong  works  at  the  entrance  of 
Mobile  Bay,  prevented  the  near  approach  of  the  vessels 
of  the  blockading  squadron,  and  protected  the  blockade- 
runners  in  entering  the  bay.  An  attack  on  these  forts 
*had  been  several  times  projected,  but  as  often  delayed 
from  one  cause  or  another.  It  was  not  till  the  summer 
of  1864,  that  a  combined  attack  of  land  and  sea  forces 
could  be  arranged.  On  the  8th  of  July,  Rear-Admiral 
Farragut  had  an  interview  with  Generals  Canby  and 
Granger,  and  iirged  the  necessity  of  an  immediate  at- 
tack. General  Canby  promised  his  assistance,  but  was 
soon  after  compelled  to  retract  his  promise.  On  the  1st 
of  August,  General  Granger  again  visited  the  admiral, 
and  a  definite  arrangement  was  made  for  an  attack  on 
the  4th.  Owing  to  unavoidable  delay,  however,  the  at- 
tack was  not  made  till  the  morning  of  the  5th,  though 
the  troops  were  landed  on  Dauphin  Island. 

The  fleet  which  was  to  take  part  in  the  attack  con- 
sisted of  fourteen  sloops  of  war  and  gunboats,  and  four 
iron-clad  monitors.  The  admiral  arranged  them  for  the 
attack  as  follows :  the  Brooklyn  and  Octorara  were 
lashed  together,  the  Brooklyn  being  on  the  stsfrboard 
side,  nearest  Fort  Morgan — the  Brooklyn  being,  much 
against  the  admiral's  wishes,  allowed  the  lead  ;  next,  the 


VICE-ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  243 

Hartford  and  Metacornet,  followed  by  the  Richmond 
and  Port  Royal,  the  Lackawanna  and  Seminole,  the 
Monongahela  and  Kennebec,  the  Ossipee  and  Itasca,  and 
the  Oneida  and  Galena.  The  four  monitors  were  ar- 
ranged in  the  following  order,  to  the  right  or  starboard 
of  the  gunboats :  the  Tecumseh,  Commander  T.  A.  M. 
Craven,  taking  the  lead,  and  followed  by  the  Manhattan, 
Commander  Nicholson,  the  Winnebago,  Commander 
Stevens,  and  the  Chickasaw,  Lieutenant-Commander 
Perkins.  v 

The  rebels,  in  addition  to  three  forts  all  manned  with 
large  garrisons,  had  a  squadron  consisting  of  the  iron- 
clad ram  Tennessee,  regarded  by  them  as  the  most  for- 
midable armed  vessel  ever  constructed,  and  three  pow- 
erful gunboats,  the  Selma,  Morgan,  and  Gaines. 

The  fleet  steamed  steadily  up  the  channel,  the  Tecum- 
seh firing  the  first  shot  at  6.47  A.  M.  The  rebels  opened 
upon  them  from  Fort  Morgan  at  six  minutes  past  seven, 
and  the  Brooklyn  replied,  after  which  the  action  became 
general.  The  Brooklyn  now  paused,  and  for  good  rea- 
son— the  Tecumseh,  near  her,  careened  suddenly  and 
sank  almost  instantly,  having  struck  and  exploded  a 
torpedo ;  and  her  gallant  commander  and  nearly  all  her 
crew  sank  with  her. 

Directing  the  commander  of  the  Metacornet  to  send  a 
boat  instantly  to  rescue  her  crew,  Admiral  Farragut  de- 
termined to  take  the  lead  in  his  own  flag-ship,  the  Hart- 
ford, and  putting  on  all  steam,  led  off  through  a  track 
which  had  been  lined  with  torpedoes  by  the  rebels ;  but 
he  says,  *'  Believing  that  from  their  having  been  some 
time  in  the  water,  they  were  probably  innocuous,  I  de- 
termined to  take  the  chance  of  their  explosion." 

Turning  to  the  northwestward  to  clear  the  middle 
ground,  the  fleet  were  enabled  to  keep  such  a  broadside 

21 


2M  OUK   GREAT  CAPTAINS. 

fire  on  the  batteries  of  Fort  Morgan  as  to  prevent  them 
from  doing  much  injury.  After  they  had  passed  the  fort, 
about  ten  minutes  before  eight  o'clock,  the  ram  Tennes- 
see dashed  out  at  the  Hartford ;  but  the  admiral  took  no 
further  notice  of  her  than  to  return  her  fire.  The  rebel 
gunboats  were  ahead  and  annoyed  the  fleet  by  a  raking 
fire,  and  the  admiral  detached  his  consort,  the  Meta- 
comet,  ordering  her  commander,  Lieutenant-Commander 
Jouett,  to  go  in  pursuit  of  the  Selma,  and  the  Octorara 
was  detached  to  pursue  one  of  the  others.  Lieutenant- 
Commander  Jouett  captured  the  Selma,  but  the  other 
two  escaped  under  the  protection  of  the  guns  of  Fort 
Morgan,  though  the  Gaines  was  so  much  injured,  that 
she  was  run  ashore  and  destroyed.  The  combat  which 
followed  between  the  Tennessee  and  the  Union  fleet, 
and  resulted  in  the  surrender  of  that  formidable  iron- 
clad vessel,  is  best  described  in  the  admiral's  own 
words : 

"  Having  passed  the  forts  and  dispersed  the  enemy's 
gunboats,  I  had  ordered  most  of  the  vessels  to  anchor, 
when  I  perceived  the  ram  Tennessee  standing  up  for  this 
ship.  This  was  at  forty-five  minutes  past  eig*ht.  I  was 
not  long  in  comprehending  his  intentions  to  be  the  de- 
struction of  the  flag-ship.  The  monitors  and  such  of  the 
wooden  vessels  as  I  thought  best  adapted  for  the  purpose, 
were  immediately  ordered  to  attack,  the  ram,  not  only 
with  their  guns,  but  bows  on  at  full  speed ;  and  then  be- 
gan one  of  the  fiercest  naval  combats  on  record. 

"  The  Monongahela,  Commander  Strong,  was  the  first 
vessel  that  struck  her,  and  in  doing  so,  carried  away  his 
own  iron  prow,  together  with  the  cutwater,  without  ap- 
pai'ently  doing  her  adversary  much  injury.  The  Lacka- 
\wanna,  Captain  Marchand,  was  the  next  vessel  to  strike 
her,  which  she  did  at  full  speed ;  but  though  her  stem 


VICE-ADMIKAL    FAKKAQUT.  245 

•   ts 

was  cut  and  crushed  to  the  plank-ends  for  the  distance  of 
three  feet  above  the  water's  edge  to  five  feet  below,  the 
only  perceptible  eifect  on  the  ram  was  to  give  her  a 
heavy  list. 

"  The  Hartford  was  the  third  vessel  that  struck  her ;  but, 
as  the  Tennessee  quickly  shifted  her  helm,  the  blow  was 
a  glancing  one,  and,  as  she  rasped  along  our  side,  we 
poured  our  whole  port  broadside  of  nine-inch  solid  shot 
within  ten  feet  of  her  casement. 

"  The  monitors  worked  slowly,  but  delivered  their  fire 
as  opportunity  oifered.  The  Chickasaw  succeeded  in 
getting  under  her  stern,  and  a  fifteen-inch  shot  from  the 
Manhattan  broke  through  her  iron  plating  and  heavy 
wooden  backing,  though  the  missile  itself  did  not  enter 
the  vessel. 

"Immediately  after  the  collision  with  the  flag-ship,  I 
directed  Captain  Dray  ton  to  bear  down  for  the  ram 
again.  He  was  doing  so  at  full  speed,  when,  unfortu- 
nately, the  Lackawanna  run  into  the  Hartford  just  for- 
ward of  the  mizzeu-mast,  cutting  her  down  to  within  two 
feet  of  the  water's  edge.  We  soon  got  clear  again,  how- 
ever, and  were  fast  approaching  our  adversaiy,  when  she 
f  truck  her  colors  and  run  up  the  white  flag. 

"  She  was  at  this  time  sore  beset ;  the  Chickasaw  was 
pounding  away  at  her  stern,  the  Ossipee  was  approach- 
ing her  at  full  speed,  and  the  Monongahela,  Lackawanna, 
and  this  ship  were  bearing  down  upon  her,  determined 
upon  her  destruction.  Her  smoke-stack  had  been  shot 
away,  her  steering-chains  were  gone,  compelling  a  resort 
to  her  relieving-tackles,  and  several  of  her  port  shutters 
were  jammed.  Indeed,  from  the  time  the  Hartford 
struck  her,  until  her  surrender,  she  never  fired  a  gun. 
As  the  Ossipee,  Commander  Le  Roy,  was  about  to  strike 
her,  she  hoisted  the  white  flag,  and  that  vessel  immedi- 


246  OUR   GREAT   CAPTAINS 

*    • 

ately  stopped  her  engine,  though  not  in  time  to  avoid  a 
glancing  blow. 

"  During  this  contest  with  the  rebel  gunboats  and  the 
ram  Tennessee,  and  which  terminated  by  her  surrender  at 
10  o'clock,  we  lost  many  more  men  than  from  the  fire  of 
the  batteries  of  Fort  Morgan." 

The  rebel  Admiral  Buchanan  was  severely  wounded, 
and  subsequently  lost  a  leg  by  amputation.  Admiral 
Farragut,  as  humane  in  bis  feelings  towards  a  wounded 
foe  as  he  was  gallant  and  daring  in  action,  immediately 
addressed  a  note  to  Brigadier-General  Page,  the  com- 
mander of  Fort  Morgan,  asking  permission  to  send  the 
rebel  admiral  and  the  other  wounded  rebel  office^  by 
ship,  under  flag  of  truce,  to  the  Union  hospitals  at  Pensa- 
cola,  where  they  could  be  tenderly  cared  for.  This  re- 
quest was  granted,  and  the  Metacomet  dispatched  with 
them. 

The  admiral  had  statipned  himself  "  in  an  elevated  po- 
sition in  the  main  rigging,  near  the  top,"  a  place  of  great 
peril,  but  one  which  enabled  him  to  see  much  better  than 
if  he  had  been  on  deck,  the  progress  of  the  battle ;  and 
from  thence  he  witnessed,  and  testified  with  great  grati- 
fication to,  the  admirable  conduct  of  the  men  at  theiiv 
guns,  throughout  the  fleet ;  and,  in  the  connection,  gives 
utterance  to  a  sentiment  which  shows  most  conclusively 
his  sympathy  and  tenderness:  "  Although,"  he  says,  "  no 
doubt  their  hearts  sickened,  as  mine  did,  when  their  ship- 
mates were  struck  down  beside  them,  yet  there  was  not 
a  moment's  hesitation  to  lay  their  comrades  aside  and 
spring  again  to  their  deadly  work."  { 

It  is  said  that  at  the  moment  of  the  collision  between 
the  Hartford  and  Lackawanna,  when  the  men  called  to 
each  other  to  save  the  admiral,  Farragut,  finding  the 
ship  would  float  at  least  long  enough  to  serve  his  pur- 


VICE-ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT,  247 

pose,  and  thinking  of  that  only,  called  out  to  his  fleet- 
captain,  "  Go  on  with  speed !     Ram  her  again !" 

The  results  of  this  victory  were  the  destruction  of  the 
rebel  fleet ;  the  capture  of  the  armored  ship  Tennessee, 
and  of  two  hundred  and  thirty  rebel  officers  and  men ; 
the  abandonment  on  the  next  day  of  Fort  Powell,  with 
eighteen  guns;  the  surrender  on  the  8th  of  Fort  Gaines, 
with  fifty-six  officers,  eight  hundred  and  eighteen  men, 
and  twenty-six  guns ;  and  on  the  23d  of  August,  after  a 
further  bombardment  of  twenty-four  hours,  of  Fort 
Morgan,  with  sixty  guns  and  six  hundred  prisoners. 
By  these  captures,  the  port  of  Mobile  was  hermeti- 
cally sealed  against  blockade-runners,  and  a  serious 
blow  given  to  the  rebel  cause. 

Rear- Admiral  Farragut  remained  in  command  of  the 
West  Gulf  squadron  till  November,  1864,  when  here- 
quested  leave  of  absence,  and  was  called  to  Washington 
for  consultation  in  regard  to  future  naval  operations. 
Soon  after  the  opening  of  Congress,  a .  resolution  of 
thanks  was  passed,  to  him,  for  his  brilliant  victory  at 
Mobile,  and  the  rank  of  vice-admiral,  corresponding  to 
that  of  lieutenant-general  in  the  army,  was  created,  and 
David  Glascoe  Farragut  promoted  to  it.  This  appoint- 
ment makes  him  the  virtual  chief  commander  of  the  naval 
forces  of  the  United  States. 

The  West  Gulf  blockading  squadron,  during  all  the 
time  Admiral  Farragut  was  in  command  of  it,  had  had 
more  fighting  and  less  prizes  than  any  other  blockading 
squaflron  on  the  coast ;  and  while  Admirals  Dupont,  Lee, 
Porter,  and  Dahlgren  had  accumulated  immense  fortunes 
by  their  shares  of  prize-money,  Admiral  Farragut  had 
received  little  beyond  his  regular  pay.  The  merchants 
of  New  York,  understanding  this,  and  recognizing  the 
great  services  he  had  rendered  to  commerce  and  to  the 


248  OUR   GKEAT   CAPTAINS. 

nation,  subscribed  the  sum  of  fifty  thousand  dollars,  which 
was  presented  to  him  in  U.  S,  7.30  Treasury  notes,  in 
January,  1865,  in  testimony  of  their  appreciation  of  his 
ability  and  success  as  a  naval  .commander. 

We  do  not  expect  any  praise,  scarcely  indeed  common 
civility,  in  speaking  of  our  generals  or  admirals,  from  that 
English  journal  which  is  so  thorough  an  exponent  of  the 
prejudices  and  hostility  of  the  English  aristocracy  tow- 
ards us,  the  "  Army  and  Navy  Gazette ;"  yet  that  jour- 
nal has  found  itself  compelled  to  speak  of  Admiral  Far- 
ragut  as  "  the  doughty  admiral  whose  feats  of  arms  place 
him  at  the  head  of  his  profession,  and  certainly  constitute 
him  the  first  naval  officer  of  the  day,  as  far  as  actual  repu- 
tation won  by  skill,  courage,  and  hard  fighting  goes." 

In  the  first  week  of  April,  1865,  Vice-Admiral  Farra- 
gut  visited  Norfolk  for  the  first  time  since  he  left  it  in 
1861,  and  was  welcomed  to  the  city  by  a  committee  of 
the  Loyal  League  of  that  city,  with  an  address,  to  which 
he  replied  as  follows : 

"  MR.  CHAIRMAN,  GENTLEMEN  OF  THE  UNION  LEAGUE, 
FELLOW-CITIZENS,  AND  MY  BROTHER  OFFICERS  OF  THE 
ARMY  AND  NAVY  : — I  thank  you  for  the  kind  remarks 
which  you  have  been  pleased  to  make,  and  I  wish  that  I 
had  the  language  to  express  myself  as  I  have  heard 
others  very  near  me  four  years  ago,  in  this  place,  when 
we  had  our  best  speakers  standing  forth  for  the  Union, 
and  striving  with  all  their  rhetoric  to  persuade  the  peo- 
ple to  desist  from  their  unholy  resolution,  and  cast  their 
voters  for  the  Union.  This  meeting  recalls  to  me  the 
most  momentous  events  of  my  life,  when  I  listened  in 
this  place  till  the  small  hours  of  the  morning,  and  re- 
turned home  with  the  feeling  that  Virginia  was  safe  and 
firm  in  her  place  in  the  Union.  Our  Union  members  to 


VICE-ADMIRAL    FARRAGUT.  249 

the  convention  were  elected  by  an  overwhelming  ma- 
jority, and  sent  to  Richmond,  and  w,e  believed  that 
every  thing  was  right.  Judge,  then,  my  friends,  of  our 
astonishment  in  finding,  a  few  days  later,  that  the  State 
.  had  been  voted  out  by  a  miserable  minority,  for  the 
want  of  firmness  and  resolution  on  the  part  of  those 
whom  we  trusted  to  represent  us  there,  and  that  Vir- 
ginia had  been  dragooned  out  of  the  Union.  What  was 
the  reason  for  this  act?  The  President's  call  for 
seventy-five  thousand  men  ?  Why,  our  arsenals,  navy- 
yards,  money  in  the  mint  at  New  Orleans  had  been 
seized,  and  Sumter  bombarded.  Was  it  then  remark- 
able that  the  Government  of  the  United  States  should 
call  for  troops  to  sustain  itself?  Would  Jackson  have 
submitted  to  this  ?  No ;  for  I  recollect  that  I  myself 
had  the  honor  to  be  sent  to  South  Carolina  to  support 
his  mandate  that  the  Union  must  and  should  be  pre- 
served. I  was  told  by  a  brother  officer  that  the  State 
had  seceded,  and  that  I  must  either  resign  and  turn 
traitor  to  the  Government  which  had  supported  me  from 
my  childhood,  or  I  must  leave  this  place.  Thank  God ! 
I  was  not  long  in  making  my  decision.  I  have  spent 
half  of  my  life  in  revolutionary  countries,  and  I  know 
the  horrors  of  civil  war,  and  I  told  the  people  what  I 
rhad  seen,  and  what  they  would  experience.  They 
laughed  at  me,  and  called  me  '  granny'  and  '  croaker ;' 
and  I  said,  '  I  cannot  live  here,  and  will  seek  some  other 
place  where  I  can  live,  and  on  two  hours'  notice ;'  and  I 
suppose  the  conspirators  said  I  left  my  country  for  my 
country's  good,  and  thank  God  I  did.  I  went  from  here 
with  the  few  valuables  I  could  hastily  collect.  I  was 
unwilling  to  believe  that  this  difficulty  would  not  have 
been  settled ;  but  it  was  all  in  vain,  and,  as  every  man 
must  do  in  a  revolution  as  he  puts  his  foot  down,  so  it 


250  OUK   GREAT   CAPTAINS. 

marks  his  life  ;  so  it  has  pleased  God  to  protect  me  thus 
far,  and  make  me  somewhat  instrumental  in  dealing 
heavy  blows  at  the  rebellion.  I  have  Jbeen  nothing 
more  than  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of  God,  well  sup- 
ported by  my  officers  and  men,  who  have  done  their 
duty  faithfully.  I  hope,,  my  friends,  that  this  day,  with 
its  events,  may  prove  the  culminating  point  of  our  revo- 
lution ;  and  I  hope  that  before  long  all  will  be  restored 
to  that  peace  and  reunion  which  has  been  sought  by  the 
Government  and  desired  by  everybody  ;  and  then  you, 
gentlemen,  who  have  deserved  so  well  of  your  country 
by  your  steady  adherence  to  its  Government,  will  receive 
the  reward  which  fidelity,  and  honesty,  and  moral 
courage  always  deserve." 

Notwithstanding  the  hardships  and  exposures  he  has 
undergone  in  a  life  of  which  more  than  forty  years  have 
been  spent  afloat,  the  sixty-four  years  of  the  vice-admi- 
ral's life  set  lightly  upon  him,  and  his  eye  is  as  clear,  his 
v*>ice  as  hearty,  his  arm  as  vigorous,  and  his  judgment 
as  sound  as  when,  a  dozen  years  ago,  he  trod  the  quarter- 
deck of  a  man-of-war  in  foreign  ports.  Our  brief  sketch 
is  altogether  inadequate  to  represent  as  we  desire  the 
character  of  our  naval  hero ;  but,  in  the  words  of  a  bril- 
liant writer  in  the  "United  States  Service  Magazine" 
for  January,  1865,  we  may  say:  "When  his  biography 
comes  to  be  written,  the  public,  who  now  see  only  high 
courage  and  indomitable  vigor,  rewarded  by  great  and 
brilliant  victories,  will  recognize  the  completeness  and 
harmony  of  a  character  that  has  so  far  appeared  to  them 
only  in  profile.  The  stainless  honor,  the  straightforward 
frankness,  the  vivacity  of  manner  and  conversation,  the 
gentleness,  the  flow  of  good-humor,  the  cheerful,  ever- 
buoyant  spirit  of  the  true  man, — these  will  be  added  to 


VICE-ADMIRAL   FARRAGUT.  251 

the  complete  education,  the  thorough  seamanship,  the 
careful  preparation,  the  devotion  to  duty,  and  lastly,  the 
restless  energy,  the  disdain  of  obstacles,  the  impatience 
of  delay  or  hesitation,  the  disregard  of  danger,  that  stand 
forth  in  such  prominence  in  the  portrait,  deeply  engraven 
on  the  loyal  American  heart,  of  the  GREAT  ADMIRAL." 


THE 


.  I 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 

•HilpUtt 


ID-URC 

DEC    ?19M 
V  1  0  1984 


•WD  umr 


JAN  1  3  1990 

l 

^  ««.  '  FEB  1  z  1990 


RE 

ID 


7768 


^— <^X 


